To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Arizona event, 17 - 18
January 2019.
Estimate:
$250,000 - $300,000
- Formerly of the Nick Alexander Collection
- Rare Marmon-Herrington all-wheel-drive woodie
- Multiple award-winner, including 1st in Class at Pebble Beach,
2003
The Jeep brand boasts its long history of producing all-wheel-drive
sport utility vehicles. What most everyone has forgotten is that
Ford offered a V-8-powered 4 � 4 wagon more than a decade earlier
than the trend-setting 1949 Jeep, produced in conjunction with
Marmon-Herrington.
Marmon-Herrington Incorporated was formed in Indianapolis, Indiana,
in 1931 by Walter C. Marmon and Colonel Arthur W. Herrington. The
two took over the old Indianapolis Duesenberg assembly plant after
it shut down and began building 4 � 4 and 6 � 6 trucks for the
Army. Their first civilian vehicles were converted Ford 1�-ton
chassis, in 1935. The first light-duty vehicles came in 1937, and
by 1939 there were some 56 different models of Marmon-Herrington
Ford conversions. They were offered not only as pickups and station
wagons, but also in chassis, stake truck, panel truck, coupe sedan,
and sedan delivery form, with 85 hp V-8 engines.
At $1,805, ordering a Marmon-Herrington conversion more than
doubled the price of a standard station wagon, with wider tires
adding another $175 to $230 to that figure. This enormous cost
difference limited all-wheel-drive production, and helps to explain
why the Marmon-Herrington Fords are some of the rarest woodies in
existence.
When a customer ordered this premium all-wheel-drive conversion,
complete Fords were delivered to Marmon-Herrington's Indianapolis
plant where the factory body and powertrain were removed. A
four-speed truck transmission was installed with an 11-in. clutch,
and a heavy-duty transfer case was mounted behind it. This was a
single-ratio unit, but from 1939 allowed on-demand engagement of
the front axle. The original body was mounted on the new chassis,
and the finished Marmon-Herrington wagon was delivered by the Ford
dealer to the customer.
No production records are known to survive for Marmon-Herrington
Fords. Since they were essentially hand-built, assembly rate was
necessarily slow and the output small, even when demand surged
during World War II. Marmon-Herrington aficionados report that only
a dozen or so total examples of all body styles of each year are
known to exist.
A 1st in Class winner at Pebble Beach, this Marmon-Herrington Ford
still stuns. The body contours show no faults, and the wood finish
exhibits only the slightest discoloration at joints and bolts that
one would expect to find with original wood. The Cloud Mist Gray
paint has a deep gloss and the varnish is fresh and fine. Some of
the glass shows minor separation at the edges. The running board
rubber is new. Although the 1940 model Standard Fords were designed
with limited brightwork, the scant amount found on this example is
in excellent condition.
The seats are correctly upholstered in new seamed brown imitation
leather. Lap belts for two are installed in front. New black rubber
mats line the floor, and the brown dashboard is excellently
restored, as are the instruments and Standard steering wheel.
The engine is nicely and correctly detailed in Ford green, without
being overdone. A heavy-duty oil-bath air cleaner is fitted to the
standard carburetor. The chassis and underbody are painted gloss
black, and are clean. Blackwall 8.00-15 tires are fitted all
around. The matching tailgate-mounted spare is exposed, since it is
too large for Ford's metal covers. The body number dates from
October 1939, with the Marmon-Herrington conversion taking place
sometime thereafter.
The car was owned by Charles Clark of Framingham, Massachusetts,
during the 1950s, purchased in 1954 from Butler Motor Corporation,
the local Ford dealer. Renowned woodie collector Nick Alexander
acquired it from Francis Carter of Cape Neddick, Maine, in July
2000, and commenced the prize-winning restoration. It was judged at
972 points by the Early Ford V-8 Club in 2001, winning a Dearborn
Award at Pismo Beach, California. In 2003 it was entered in the
Woodie Class at Pebble Beach, handily winning against substantial
competition, some of which included other woodies from the
Alexander collection. The current owner acquired the stunning
Standard Station wagon at the sale of the collection in 2009, and
has meticulously maintained it ever since.
Marmon-Herrington Fords are some of the most desirable woodies due
to their engineering, significance, rarity, and impressive visual
stance. To find a Dearborn and Pebble Beach class-winning example
that presents in show-ready condition is an opportunity not oft
repeated.To view this car and others currently consigned to this
auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/az19.
