Marathon Motor Works
Nashville, Tennessee
In 1908 the Southern Engine and Boiler Works company, of Jackson, Tennessee, began production of a completely in-house designed car called the “Southern”. An engineer from Southern Motor Works named William H. Collier designed the four cylinder engines and transmissions used in the cars and was involved with production throughout the cars' existence in Tennessee. Automobiles were a booming industry in the early 20th century and manufacturers were constantly springing up everywhere. Very soon after production began, the company learned of another car in the U.S. being manufactured with the "Southern" name. So in 1910, after building around 600 cars in Jackson, the company changed its name to Marathon and moved 130 miles east to a facility in Nashville, Tennessee.
This move allowed Marathon to expand its production line in 1913 to a dozen different models, on four different chassis, from only five different models just two years before. This also led the company to expand to four hundred employees, from seventy-five. This increase in model types allowed for new price points and the company grew from producing 600 cars while in Jackson, to producing 200 cars a month in 1912 and it hoped to produce 5,000 annually.
Under the leadership of Collier, the Marathon became a growing concern and the company took on an influential role within the State. A nationally ran advertising campaign included pictures of the car beside landmarks like the Belmont Mansion and the iconic Nashville Parthenon. The state Highway Department even used the car to aid in planning the first state built road, the Memphis-to-Bristol highway.
The car gained a reputation for being well built and reliable. This was due, in no small part, to the fact that the car was entirely produced under one building. Collier was a forward thinker and used aluminum to construct some parts and acquired patents for innovations he created.
The company wasn’t without its problems. In 1913 Collier was demoted after a disagreement with the president and that was the start of the problems. Over a period of four years in Nashville, the company had 3 different presidents. This poor management led to mismanagement and in 1913 Collier was forced to file charges in court. It seems some suppliers weren’t getting paid. In 1914 production stopped and the company went into receivership. The company's machinery was purchased by the Richmond, IN firm of Herff-Brooks, which continued the Marathon name for an additional two years.
The Marathon Motor Works building still stands on Clinton Avenue and now houses the Marathon Village, a four block complex housing art studios, offices, salons and retail businesses. The most famous residents being Antique Archaeology, of Discovery Channel fame. The complex also houses a museum that contains several Marathon cars.
by: Chris Breeden
Photos by: Joe Breeden
