Marmon 16: A Masterpiece of Automotive History

The Marmon Sixteen was a masterpiece of automotive history. It had a 491 cubic inch, all-alloy 16-cylinder engine and a modern and tasteful design. The Marmon Sixteen’s unique and innovative design left a lasting impression on the automotive industry, but its high price tag made it difficult to sell.

For a long time, people have thought of 16-cylinder cars as belonging only to Cadillac. But the Marmon Sixteen was another excellent sixteen from the early Thirties. The Marmon Sixteen was known for its advanced engineering and luxurious features, such as a V-shaped windscreen and a dashboard that lit up like a Christmas tree. Despite its high price tag, the Marmon Sixteen was considered one of the finest cars of its time.

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The Marmon Sixteens from 1931 to 1933 were excellent cars that, in some ways, surpassed the Cadillac. At the 1932 New York Automobile Show, the Society of Automotive Engineers officially acknowledged this fact by naming the Marmon Sixteen engine “the year’s most noteworthy automotive. Cadillac has yet to receive this distinction. (1931-1933 Marmon Sixteen, 2007) The Marmon Sixteen engine was a technological marvel, with its aluminium pistons, overhead valves, and twin carburettors. It was also incredibly powerful, producing 200 horsepower at a time when most cars had less than half that amount.

Marmon was modern and tasteful

The automobiles Colonel Howard C. Marmon built were not your typical American cars. In terms of engineering, the Marmon has always been a better vehicle. Few could compare to them in quality, and they were always modern and tasteful in appearance. The Marmon Sixteen, a grand automobile with a magnificent 491 cubic inch, all-alloy 16-cylinder engine, was the company’s crowning achievement and was first introduced in 1930. Walter Dorwin Teague and, to a large extent, his son, WD Jr., were in charge of creating the contemporary, almost architectural bodies mounted on the magnificent chassis, even though Marmon was responsible for the engineering and build quality. LeBaron produced nearly all of their designs, and they heavily incorporated alloy panels and fittings, following the brilliant engineering of the Sixteen. The Great Depression ensured that the Sixteen sold slowly, typically costing at least $5,000 and that fewer than 400 were built despite its unmatched performance and innovative designs. Owning a Sixteen today denotes good taste, an appreciation for mechanics, and sound judgment. (1930 Marmon Sixteen, n.d.)

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Marmon, a landmark

The Marmon was a landmark. It was unique in its engineering and design. It had a V-16 engine, arguably more significant than the Cadillac V-16, and its body had clean lines. Dorwin took off most of the doodahs then seen on cars, even the radiator cap. Marmon built fewer than 400 of them before the company went out of business, but it was a beautifully proportioned, pace-setting design.  (Moonan, 2001) The Marmon car was a unique and innovative design ahead of its time. Despite the low production numbers, it left a lasting impression on the automotive industry.

Doomed from the Beginning

However, the Sixteen’s nearly $5000 price tag ($80,000+ today) made selling arduous in those challenging times. Only 400 buildings total—223 in 1931, 111 in 1932, and 56 in 1933—were constructed. Naturally, that price is low compared to what the remaining Marmon cars sell for, even in today’s dollars. Given the Sixteen’s rare combination of beauty and rarity, it is unsurprising that collectors have turned to it as a prized object of desire. Some collectors consider the Marmon Sixteen one of the most essential American cars ever made. Its advanced engineering and elegant design make it a true masterpiece of automotive history.

Sources

1930 Marmon Sixteen. (n.d.). Supercars.net. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.supercars.net/blog/1930-marmon-sixteen/

2931-1933 Marmon Sixteen. (2007, December 6). Marmon Sixteen Beginnings | HowStuffWorks. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1931-1933-marmon-sixteen.htm

Moonan. (2001, June 15). ANTIQUES; a Car Design at Age 19 Set a Career. New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/15/arts/antiques-a-car-design-at-age-19-set-a-career.html

Peek, J. (2017, December 15). Marmon: The Rise, Fall, and Rarity of a Forgotten American Automaker – Hagerty Media. Hagerty Media. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.hagerty.com/media/archived/marmon-rise-and-fall/

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