Vehicle Description
As soon as Howard Marmon earned his engineering degree from the
University of California Berkeley, he went straight to work in his
family business, The Nordyke & Marmon Company of Indianapolis. The
firm specialized in flour milling equipment and was already more
than fifty years old when young Howard took his post. As the
company prospered during the industrial boom of the late 1800s,
Howard Marmon rose quickly through the ranks to become the chief
engineer by 1902, which he earned not through nepotism but via his
exceptional talent. When not managing the family business, Marmon
became enthralled with the automobile and built his first horseless
carriage in 1902 at age 23. His ability was evident in the
astonishingly well-constructed and highly advanced creation, which
featured a 90-degree V-twin with overhead valves, multi-plate
clutch, and 3-speed sliding gear transmission. Although it was a
one-off prototype, Marmon's first automobile demonstrated his
brilliance. Against his brother's wishes, Howard Marmon began
producing automobiles in 1905. He experimented with V6 and V8
engines, and his production models quickly earned a reputation for
quality and thrilling performance. In 1911, the Marmon Wasp -
driven by Ray Harroun - became the first car to win the
Indianapolis 500-mile race. Production Marmon road cars quickly
rose to that stature of Cadillac, Packard, and Pierce, all vying
for supremacy in the highly competitive American luxury car
marketplace. By 1926, Howard Marmon sold the family flour milling
business to Allis-Chalmers to concentrate on motorcar development
and production. Taking a page from Cadillac and LaSalle, Marmon
added the lower cost Roosevelt line, which boosted sales to 22,000
cars by 1929. Meanwhile, Howard Marmon continued developing a new
flagship model, powered by a spectacular V16 engine, which he began
in 1927. Unfortunately, the stock market crash had other plans for
Marmon, and soon sales and profits plummeted like a rock. Despite
being on the brink of financial collapse, development of the mighty
Sixteen continued, and Marmon showed the prototype at the 1930
Chicago Auto Show to critical acclaim. Sadly, the car was costly
and late to the market, and the company lacked the resources to
compete with the might of Cadillac and Packard. What Marmon lacked
in funding, it made up for through pure engineering brilliance. The
Marmon Sixteen is a masterpiece of the classic era, with an
overhead valve engine displacing nearly 500 cubic inches and
producing a full 200 horsepower, besting Cadillac's V16 by an
impressive 25 hp. It was claimed that a Marmon Sixteen could
out-accelerate a Duesenberg Model J, much to the annoyance of
Marmon's cross-town rivals. The base styling is credited to Walter
Dorwin Teague Jr, who penned the gracefully curved fenders, bold
and powerful radiator shell, and a sleek profile devoid of fussy
detailing. Estimates suggest between 370 and 375 Marmon Sixteens
were produced between 1930 and 1933, and despite their small
numbers, they are counted among the most important and collectible
of all American classic-era automobiles. It is a rare occasion when
a Marmon Sixteen comes to market, and we are especially pleased to
offer this exquisite 1933 example, featuring handsome convertible
sedan coachwork by LeBaron. Most Marmon Sixteens wore closed sedan
and limousine coachwork, so it is a rare sight to see the mighty
Marmon radiator grille on an open car. Recently out of a complete,
nut-and-bolt restoration, it is finished in an attractive color
scheme of blue over black fenders and chassis, with a saddle-brown
interior. According to information compiled and provided by D.W.
Ridgley's Marmon Sixteen Roster, chassis number 16 145 947 (engine
no. 16880) was in the hands of a Mr. Wilder of Willetts, CA, in the
early 1950s. It passed through a series of owners in the 1950s and
early 1960s and nearly suffered the indignity of becoming a parts
car, yet was mercifully kept together. In the late 1970s,
then-owner Mr. Marshall B. Beldon started a restoration that never
quite got off the ground and stalled by the mid-80s. The Marmon
then went to the Canton Classic Car Museum and remained in a
partially restored state before Hyman Ltd acquired it in 2011. We
placed the car with its most recent owner, who commissioned this
cost-no-object restoration beginning in 2012. After approximately
three years and nearly $700,000, this spectacular Marmon Sixteen is
finally restored to a level befitting one of the Classic Era's most
extraordinary automobiles. Presented in navy blue with black
fenders, it has all the trappings of a concours quality motorcar,
including beautiful glassy paintwork, excellent fit and finish
quality, superb brightwork, and exquisite detailing. The LeBaron
coachwork (style number 145) is elegant yet imposing, with minimal
adornment to spoil the graceful lines. Six chrome wire wheels with
double-sided whitewalls, a chrome radiator shell, and chrome
headlamps set off the otherwise understated coachwork. The interior
is beautifully finished in chocolate brown leather, with oatmeal
carpets, a body-color instrument panel, and superb chrome fittings.
The pleated brown leather shows virtually no signs of use,
appearing taut and free of creasing on the seating surfaces.
Likewise, the light tan carpets are like new, with protective over
mats to keep them clean on the show field. The blue-painted dash
houses an array of impeccably restored AC instruments and a Jaeger
Eight Day clock. Of course, the Marmon's centerpiece is its
jaw-dropping, 490 cubic-inch overhead-valve V16. It is almost a
shame that the beautiful engine is hidden, as it is a work of art
like the rest of the car. The fastidiously detailed V16 features a
narrow-angle layout, with pressed steel liners set into an aluminum
alloy cylinder block. The heads are topped with polished alloy
valve covers and dressed with chrome wiring looms and black
porcelain enamel manifolds. Per the Marmon Sixteen Roster
information, this car retains its correct, original engine. Coveted
for their astonishing performance as much as their commanding
presence, the Marmon Sixteen enjoys elite status as one of the most
desirable and collectible American cars of the Classic Era. This
exquisite example remains crisp and finely detailed after its
restoration. It has yet to be shown and is an ideal candidate for
Classic Car Club of America events or as your ticket into a wide
variety of exclusive concours worldwide. Offers welcome and trades
considered For additional details please view this listing directly
on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/6892-1933-marmon-sixteen-convertible-sedan/
