The 1929 Ruxton Model C Roadster, wearing exquisite coachwork by Baker-Raulang and bearing chassis number 10C64. Ruxton was an American automobile marque founded in 1929 by Archie M. Andrews and William J. Muller, headquartered in New York City. Despite its innovative front-wheel-drive design, the company’s operations were short-lived, ceasing production by 1931 after building only 96 vehicles. Production was spread across several facilities, including the Board Machine plant in Philadelphia, the Moon Motor Car works in St. Louis, and Kissel Motors in Hartford, Wisconsin, which also supplied the car’s transmission components. In 1929, the Ruxton and Cord L-29 captured the automotive world’s attention with their groundbreaking front-wheel-drive designs, though Ruxton’s moment in the spotlight was fleeting. Conceived by New Era Motors under Andrews, with engineering by Muller and styling by Joseph Ledwinka, the car embodied bold design and innovation but disappeared before it could make a lasting impact. The Ruxton holds a special place in American automotive history as the first production sedan built on a dedicated front wheel drive chassis. Muller envisioned a car that could be sold to an automaker for which Edward G. Budd would then supply bodies. Instead, Archie M. Andrews, the Edward G. Budd Company’s largest shareholder took control of the project, acquiring the prototypes and tooling and launching production through his newly formed New Era Motors. The result was the Ruxton, a low profile car powered by a Continental L head engine, with only about 96 examples completed before the company collapsed during bankruptcy proceedings in 1930. The example here, chassis 10C64, is one of just seven roadsters still known to exist and retains its original body tag, identifying it as the fifth roadster constructed and the fifteenth chassis produced by Moon.
How many made? Approximately 96
Engine: Continental L-head straight-eight, 100 hp
Debut: 1929
Top Speed: ~80 mph (estimated)
0-60mph: ~20 seconds (estimated)
Photo Credit: @fuldamobil
Research: @rarecarsonly
1929 Ruxton Model C Roadster
25.09.2025
New Era Motors