Milwaukee Motor Co. engine in 1912 Imperial Model 34

[John E. Guitar]

I'm working on a 1912 Imperial Model 34 and am chasing any information on the engine. It has "Milwaukee Motor Co" cast into the flywheel housing access panel.

 

The only information I have come up with is this 1909 trade display photograph from the Detroit Public Library archive and a 1917 court case against the company which mentions major quality issues with the engines supplied to the Imperial Automobile Company.

 

https://cite.case.law/f/246/671/

 

[John E. Guitar]

A few photos.

 

 

 

[George Albright]

I checked my books and the internet. Nothing on this company.  It appears the company made several sizes of engines for the Imperial automobile company. 

[TerryB]

Same Imperial?

[Bud Tierney]

There were two Milwaukee Motors – I think one the Milwaukee Motor Co and the other the Milwaukee Motor and Manufacturing Co, operating in roughly the same period, both producing inline fours per their advertising... I think.

 

I can't lay hands on my M notebook; will dig it out and reply this PM...

[Bud Tierney]

My notes not any real help---

I'd forgotten a 1905 entry saying Milw Mtr & Mfg Co was incptd as Milw Motor Co, so apparently one company after all...

I have no history or dissolution info...they were passing around a "very atrractive catalog" in Oct 1903, supposedly doing a good business in the Midwest, and wer still listed in Buyers Directories in 1915...you might try oldmarineengine as they were into gasoline marine motors as well as auto engines...

Std Cat says they also built the Monarch car in Milwaukee 1903-04, nut decided to stick with engines. Std cat had no comments on what happened to engine co.( the Mpnarch had a 1cyl; thay were advertising a 4cyl vertucal in Feb 1905...

Don't recall seeing more than an occasional Milwaukee engine refereence in my old parts catalogs; or old advertising..

[wayne sheldon]

I know that a few of the Imperial cars do exist, and are occasionally toured. I have personally seen two of them, and because one was a local club car, have noticed a couple others in national tour reports in club magazines. I do not know if all the Imperials used a Milwaukee engine or not. 

The local club car was toured quite a lot for many years, and seemed to perform very well. It dropped out for awhile due the the owner's age, but began touring again a few years later. I have since lost track of it.

[Bud Tierney]

More depressing news---no real info in my old catalogs---a 1917 Burd ring catalog, with quite extensive listings, doesn't list any Milwaukee engine despite it also covering many marine engines..

That doesn't mean they couldn't've had a fair production tun; if just sold locally/regionally, and to makers who didn't advertise engine builder, parts companies may not've considered them worth stacking parts for in national catalogs.....

Stf Cat says the Cuting (Clark-Carter Automobile Co, Jackson, Mick 11909-13) used Milwaukee and other engines..

The Wisc Cptn Comm should have company dissolution info; they might've reopg under fifferent name or been absorbed b another engine co who continued designs..the Milw Pub ZLib may have engine brochures etc in their local business history files....

[John E. Guitar]

Guys, thank you for all the responses. It's interesting that both Cutting & Imperial were based in Jackson, Michigan but used an engine from Wisconsin.

 

Here is the car. I'll post more photos as things progress.