Muncie Gear Works (MGW) was founded in Muncie, Indiana in1910 after taking over a failing auto parts manufacturer. The company rapidly grew as they focused on producing clutches and transmissions for auto manufacturers. By the late ’20s, business was on the decline with changes in the auto industry, the stock market crash of 1929, and the depression that followed. Unlike many others of the period, MGW adapted its business and began making in-demand items like coal stokers, heat pumps, air conditioners, deep freezers, and of course, outboard motors. MGW produced outboards under a variety of names, but Neptune was arguably the most popular due to its legendary mix of power and reliability. Despite numerous sales and owners over the years, Neptune Outboards kept humming along for more than fifty years before quietly ceasing production in 1986.
