I’ve seen these standalone prewar Lionel motors called “Peerless” turn up at auctions and can’t find any info. My search leads back to an old car company but can anyone shed some light on what these motors were used for? Why are they called Peerless, was that a generic term not associated with the car company?
Thanks!
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Peerless by definition means "unrivaled" so was likely simply a marketing name. It was pretty commonly used for different products back then.
The Lionel motors were marketed to go along with the construction toys (think Meccano, Erector, etc.) that required power sources to animate the various items you could build such as draw bridges, Ferris wheels, etc. They made a few different configurations of the motors for different modeling purposes.
There were 3 types, made from 1916-1921. They used batteries, or transformers to power the line driven toys that were formerly steam driven. 
Thanks Jake and Rob- appreciate the info! That type R sold recently- it is a beautiful machine. I love how it’s just an open frame, and the kid would see all the action in full swing - low voltage rotation or redlining that puppy full speed! Right now I’m focusing on postwar collecting but I think these little motors prove that prewar was the true age of DIY toys that left alot to the imagination as far as building something unique. There wasn’t much onus on the postwar consumer to build even a kit, let alone a scale Hudson.
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