The motor boys series
by Clarence Young


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The Motor Boys

The Motor Boys are: Bob Baker, son of a rich banker; Ned Slade, son of a large department store owner; Jerry Hopkins, son of a well-to-do widow.

image Cupples & Leon advertisement for The Motor Boys Series:
In 'The Motor Boys Series' Mr. Clarence Young has, at a single bound, placed himself in the front rank of writers for boys and young men. This line of stories is clean, bright, up-to-date and full of adventure.

Cupples & Leon advertisement for The Second Motor Boys Series:
This, the Second Series of the now world famed Motor Boys virtually starts a new series, but retains all the favorite characters introduced in the previous books. The Motor Boys series is the biggest and best selling series for boys ever published.

Volumes 17 - 22 were advertised as "The Motor Boys - Second Series." Four of these books (volumes 17-21) were originally published with the words "Ned, Bob and Jerry" instead of the traditional "The Motor Boys". They were later reissued with the standard titles and subtitles.

Howard Garis began his long association with the Stratemeyer Syndicate with his work on this series. His wife, Lillian Garis, assisted in some of the stories in the Motor Girls series.

The Syndicate also produced a similarly themed Motor Girls series which lasted 10 volumes 1910 to 1917.

This series was published by Cupples & Leon and was issued in at least three major binding styles:
A: Dark green with red, white, black printing of the Boys driving down a road in an open touring car.
B: Gray with orange-red and black printing depicting a variety of scenes. This variety had a number of different spine symbols depicting the type of adventure (air, sea, land).
C: Brown with black printing depicting the boys (each in a separate circle) and illustrations of a biplane, auto and boat. It is reminiscent of a cross between the Rover Boys covers and the Tom Swift covers.
All types had glossy frontispieces, types A & B also had several glossy illustrations interspersed in the body of the text.

Illustrators
Charles Nuttall - Volumes 1-9
R. Richards - Volumes 10-15
Walter S. Rogers - Volumes 16,17,22
R. Emmett Owen - Volumes 18-21

Free Motor Boys E-Books On Project Gutenberg

The Motor Boys Cover

01: The Motor Boys or, Chums Through Thick And Thin - 1906
In this volume is related how the three boys got together and planned to obtain a touring car and make a trip lasting the summer.

02: The Motor Boys Overland or, A Long Trip For Fun And Fortune - 1906
With the money won at the great motor cycle race the three boys purchase their touring car and commence their travels. When in the West they hear of the opening up of new gold diggings and resolve to visit the locality in their car.

03: The Motor Boys In Mexico or, The Secret Of The Buried City - 1906
From our own country the scene is shifted to Mexico, where the Motor Boys journey in quest of a city said to have been buried centuries ago by an earthquake.

04: The Motor Boys Across The Plains or, The Hermit Of Lost Lake - 1907
This is the latest volume in this highly succesful series and takes the boys through a variety of adventures. How they found Lost Lake, unravelled the mystery surrounding the lonely hermit who dwelt there, and saved their precious gold mine from falling into the hands of a band of sharpers.

05: The Motor Boys Afloat or, The Cruise Of The Dartaway - 1908
Note: Subtitle also listed as The Stirring Cruise Of The Dartaway
In this volume the boys take to a motorboat, and have many adventures.

06: The Motor Boys On The Atlantic or, The Mystery Of The Lighthouse - 1908
How the lads foiled the bad men who wanted to wreck a steamer by means of a false light is dramatically related.

07: The Motor Boys In Strange Waters or, Lost In A Floating Forest - 1909
Telling of many adventures in the mysterious Everglades of Florida

08: The Motor Boys On The Pacific or, The Young Derelict Hunters - 1909
The derelict was of great value, and the hunt for it proved full of perils.

09: The Motor Boys In The Clouds or, A Trip For Fame And Fortune - 1910
The boys fall in with an inventor and invest in a flying machine. After a number of stirring adventures in the clouds they enter a big race.

10: The Motor Boys Over The Rockies or, A Mystery Of The Air - 1911
Here is a story of airship adventures quite out of the ordinary.

11: The Motor Boys Over The Ocean or, A Marvelous Rescue In Mid-Air - 1911
From the mountains the scene is shifted to the broad Atlantic. Once again the dauntless Motor Boys are to the front, in a series of happenings as interesting as they are exciting.

12: The Motor Boys On The Wing or, Seeking The Airship Treasure - 1912
After the bank is robbed by thieves using an aeroplane, the Motor Boys take to the air to capture them and retrieve the stolen loot.

13: The Motor Boys After A Fortune or, The Hut On Snake Island - 1912
Enthusiastic over their success in locating the stolen bank treasure, the Motor Boys hearing of a fortune in radium supposed to be located in the Grand Canyon, start out to seek it, using first an auto, then a motor boat and then in an airship. A truly remarkable story, full of new interest and adventure.

14: The Motor Boys On The Border or, Sixty Nuggets Of Gold - 1913

15: The Motor Boys Under The Sea or, From Airship To Submarine - 1914

16: The Motor Boys On Road And River or, Racing To Save A Life - 1915
The Motor Boys Cover

17: Ned, Bob And Jerry At Boxwood Hall or, The Motor Boys As Freshman - 1916
Reissue: The Motor Boys At Boxwood Hall or, Ned, Bob And Jerry As Freshman
Fresh from their adventures in their automobile, their motor boat and their airship, the youths are sent to college to complete their interrupted education. Some boys at the institution of learning have heard much about our heroes, and so conclude that the Motor Boys will try to run everything to suit themselves.
A plot is formed to keep our heroes entirely in the background and not let them participate in athletics and other contests. How the Motor Boys forged to the front and made warm friends of their rivals makes unusually interesting reading.

18: Ned, Bob And Jerry On A Ranch or, The Motor Boys Among The Cowboys - 1917
Reissue: The Motor Boys On A Ranch or, Ned, Bob And Jerry Among The Cowboys

19: Ned, Bob And Jerry In The Army or, The Motor Boys As Volunteers - 1918
Reissue: The Motor Boys In The Army or, Ned, Bob And Jerry As Volunteers

20: Ned, Bob And Jerry On The Firing Line or, The Motor Boys Fighting For Uncle Sam - 1919
Reissue: The Motor Boys On The Firing Line or, Ned, Bob And Jerry Fighting For Uncle Sam

21: Ned, Bob And Jerry Bound For Home or, The Motor Boys On The Wrecked Troopship - 1920
Reissue: The Motor Boys Bound For Home or, Ned, Bob And Jerry On The Wrecked Troopship

22: The Motor Boys On Thunder Mountain or, The Treasure Chest Of Blue Rock - 1924
Note: Subtitle also listed as The Treasure Box Of Blue Rock
The pseudonym "Clarence Young" was also used for the six volume Jack Ranger series and the six volume Racer Boys series as well as for a few football stories published in turn of the century boys magazines.