The Gardner Automobile Manufacturing Company was based in St. Louis and was founded in 1920. Originally a buggy builder, Russell Gardner's foray into automobiles began by assembling Chevrolets. He and his sons produced their first car in 1920, powered by a Lycoming engine. They produced several models over the next decade, such as the Series 75, Series 80, Series 90, Series 150, and Roadster R. These models featured inline four, inline six, and inline eight engines. After several innovative designs that never saw production, such as hydraulic brakes and front-wheel drive, the fiercely competitive car business of the 1920s and 1930s was too much for the small company, and they dissolved in 1931.