1932 Marmon 16 - Gateway Classic Cars St. Louis - #6524

#6524

Gateway Classic Cars of St. Louis is proud to offer a very rare 1932 Marmon 16. Founded in 1902, by 23 year old Howard Marmon: Marmon was an American Automobile manufacturer based out of Indianapolis Indiana. It was a Marmon 'Wasp' which took first place in the very first Indianapolis 500 race in 1911 out of a field of 40 racers. A few years later, in 1931 Marmon introduced an amazing automobile: the Marmon 16. This was to be direct competition for the Cadillac V16. Cadillac's V16 churned out an impressive for the time 165 Horsepower. This was however dwarfed by Marmon's 8.1 Liter all aluminum 16 cylinder powerhouse which created 200 horsepower. These 16 cylinder vehicles were built on an impressive 145 inch wheelbase which offered a great platform for quality coachwork. Only about 390 examples of the 16 cylinder cars were made between 1931 and 1933, and they carried a hefty price tag around $5,000. The vehicle was beautifully crafted and well ahead of its time mechanically, especially because of their use of aluminum. To test build quality and performance, all Marmon chassis were run around the Indianapolis race track with a driver sitting on a folding chair. Each chassis had to top 100 MPH before being sent off to the coach builder. The one flaw which lead to Marmon's ultimate demise was the fact that Cadillac's V16 was released 2 years prior to the Marmon 16. This head start jump started Cadillac's sales enough to propel them through the Great Depression which Marmon did not survive.
This particular example, is a 5 passenger sedan which is fully enclosed. This imposing automobile offers a great amount of presence, especially finished in jet black. The car was painted in 1998 in black with a subtle cream pinstripe from front to back. The pinstripe matches perfectly with the cream colored wire wheels. Quite the wheels these are: 18" in diameter with a set of massive wide white wall tires wrapping all 6 wheels. The two spare wheels fit snuggly on each fender and offer a convenient place to mount each side mirror. Interestingly enough, the third mirror, the rearview mirror inside the car was a first in the Marmon 16. Howard Marmon invented the idea which is now commonplace in nearly all vehicles. The styling on this vehicle is brutish, yet handsome. Such a large vehicle would look strange with dainty features, so things like the large squared off door handles look appropriate and have a feel of being overbuilt and sturdy. The vehicle still looks beautiful despite its proportions because of features such as the large horizontally slatted chrome grill. This of course is functional in keeping the massive 16 cylinder engine cool as are the openings on the side of each bonnet. Other functional touches are the storage trunk mounted on the rear of the vehicle just above the very unique exhaust outlets.
Climbing into this vehicle has a great bit of occasion. Grasp the hearty door handle, and step up the wide running board to hop behind the wheel. The front seat offers a commanding view of the road down the massive hood which seems to go on in front of you for miles. The dashboard is much like the exterior styling, functional, yet beautiful. A brushed metal gauge housing provides a place for all the vitals: a speedometer which goes to 120 mph, oil pressure, water temperature, amp meter, fuel gauge, and a clock on the far right hand side. Necessary for the time, the center of the dash houses a cigar lighter and an ash tray. You won't find airbags or stereo controls, but both driver and passenger get their own glove box. Unique to this vehicle is a plaque on the dash stating that this vehicle was driven on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1993. That means of course it made a lap twice in its life, once in the 30's as a chassis for testing, and once in 1993 as a complete automobile. It makes one wonder if they achieved 100 MPH in 1993. It was common of course, for someone who could afford this vehicle in the 1930s to be driven in their car. This means the back seat accommodations were often more comfortable than the front. This sedan offers a large rearward opening door on each side for easy access to the large rear quarters. Two or three can sit comfortably with miles of legroom. Carpeted leg rests are available as well as two reading lights. Even in the heat of summer, ventilation will keep all occupants comfortable. The front windscreen tilts open and all six side windows can be lowered. Whether you're behind the wheel, or relaxing in the back, it is a lovely vehicle in which to travel.

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