Lion (automobile)

The Lion was a brass era automobile built in Adrian, Michigan, United States by the Lion Motor Car Company from 1909 to 1912.^[1]

Lion Motor Car Company

Lion Radiator Emblem
Predecessor	Gyroscope (automobile)
Founded	1910; 115 years ago (1910)
Founder	Henry Bowen, Fred Postal
Defunct	1912; 113 years ago (1912)
Fate	Factory Fire
Headquarters	Adrian, Michigan
Products	Automobile Manufacturer

History

The Lion Motor Car Company was formed to produce the engine developed for the Gyroscope automobile. This plan was abandoned and the Lion was a four-cylinder 40 hp engine model called the Forty.^[1] In 1910 Runabout and Tourers were medium-priced at $1,500 and $1,600, equivalent to $53,994 in 2024.^[1] Lion advertised " The Lion Forty runs like a Sixty".^[2][1]

A fire on June 2, 1912, destroyed the factory and 150 cars, including a prototype model Thirty. The city of Adrian and citizens raised $8,000 to help, but the Lion Motor Car Company was under-insured and went into receivership by October.^[2]

• 
  Lion model Forty advertising
• 
  1912 Lion factory fire

Two Lion examples are known to be extant; one in a museum in Adrian, Michigan and another in Australia. The Australian car is located in Queensland.