There were around 2500 different automotive companies that came and went in the early days of motoring between 1900 and 1929 and the Marmon Motor Car company is one of the few early automotive companies to leave a mark in automotive history that separates them from all the rest. Early on, the Marmon brothers experimented with exotically designed engines for their cars which included a 20 horsepower overhead valve air cooled V4 engine, a V6 engine, and an experimental 75 horsepower V8 engine in 1907. Finally settling for an inline six cylinder design, dubbed the Model 32, in 1908 which was made famous three years later with a Model 32 based race car called "The Wasp", winning the very first Indianapolis 500 race in 1911 driven by famous race driver Ray Harroun.
Following its victory at Indy, Marmon now had a reputation to uphold, so in 1913 Marmon introduced the Model 41 which is a fantastically well engineered car. Featuring a massive L-Head six cylinder engine with a three speed transmission making over 70 Horsepower. With a fully pressurized oil system and a 7 main bearing crankcase the Model 41 is not only powerful, but unbreakable. Marmons were a very upscale expensive car when they were new, the Model 41 being $3500 dollars. For perspective, a brand new Cadillac in 1913 was around $1800 dollars and a new Ford was only $525 dollars. Model 41 production continued through 1915 and today there are less than a handful that exist. Every car that was produced was test driven around the Indianapolis 500 race track at over 80 miles per hour before being shipped to their dealer.
This 1915 Model 41 is most likely the finest early Marmon to exist today. Fully documented back to the day it was purchased in 1915, this car has been owned by the same family since new in 1915. It has an incredible story and fantastic provenance. It is also the only Model 41 "Club Roadster", a 3 seat cloverleaf body configuration, in existence which is both different and very handsome. Included with the car is its original 1915 purchase order from Frank E. Wing Motorcars, the Marmon dealer in Boston, Massachusetts; some early service records, original owners manuals, original service manual, period photographs and even the original owners drivers license and registrations from 1915 through the late 1920's when the car was taken off the road and stored away. It wasn't seen again until the late 1950's when it was taken out of the original owners garage and used briefly. Put away again, it wasn't until the the 1980's that the car would finally be taken out of storage and used by the family once again.
It is a fantastically well preserved car in outstanding original condition. Since our acquisition of the car it has had a mechanical going over which includes new valves, new valve seats, machining the blocks, new rings, rebuilt water pump with a new shaft, checking of all the bearings, and flushing the fuel and cooling systems. New tires were also installed. It runs incredibly well and just completed over 100 miles in one day as its first test which it completed without a problem. A very fast, powerful car that has everything anyone could ask for in a car to tour with.
Having great racing pedigree and a very high quality design, early Marmons are one of the greatest cars of their time. This particular Marmon club roadster is the best example in existence today with outstanding provenance, documentation and originality. 70 horsepower six cylinder, 1 family owned since new, 3 seat cloverleaf coachwork, all original, and fantastic provenance, it doesn't get any better than this. Contact us today for more information.
