1921 Marmon Model 34B

Nordyke Marmon & Company began in 1851 and built milling machinery in Richmond, Indiana. In 1858, Addison H. Nordyke and his father, Ellison, formed a company named E. & A. H. Nordyke to manufacture and build flour mills. In 1866, Daniel W. Marmon joined the company, and the name was changed to Nordyke Marmon & Company. The company moved to Indianapolis in 1875 for better manufacturing and shipping facilities, helping them become America's top mill builder by 1876.

Howard C. Marmon received a mechanical engineering degree from the University of California at Berkeley in the mid-1890s. Upon graduating, he followed in his brother Walter's footsteps and joined the family business.

In the early 1900s, with Howard Marmon acting as chief engineer, experimental automobiles were built powered by an overhead valve, air-cooled V-twin engine in a 90-degree configuration. In 1903, they used an air-cooled V4 engine, followed by V6 and V8 engines in the years that followed, before settling on conventional straight engine designs. In 1904, Marmon built six automobiles which were sold to customers, mostly friends. Twenty-five cars were built in 1905.

Marmon displayed a car called the Model M-37 at the 1906 New York Auto Show. It had a 128-inch wheelbase, a V6 engine offering 65 horsepower, and a price tag of $5,000. With no interested buyers, the car was not put into production. Instead, Marmon focused on the smaller V-4 engine and lightweight construction techniques. Marmon began using water-cooled engines in 1908, and from 1909, all the Marmon engines would use this cooling setup and the conventional inline T-head configuration. The Model 32 of 1909 rested on a 120-inch wheelbase platform, had a conventional chassis setup, had a 4-cylinder engine, and offered in five different body styles. A racing version called the Marmon Wasp was driven by Ray Harroun to win the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911.

After the success of the Wasp, Marmon introduced a six-cylinder Model 48, as well as a smaller Model 41 six. The Model 34 six followed for 1916, featuring an advanced overhead valve design, with much of the components - including the cylinder block and body - were comprised of lightweight aluminum. By this point in history, Marmon was assisted by Fred Moskovics and Alanson Brush. Samuel B. Stevens helped promote the Marmon product, including driving a Model 34 cross-country in 1916 in less than six days, beating the previous record by 41 hours.

Production of the Model 34 lasted through 1928, receiving several updates and modifications along the way. It was the company's most successful motorcar, had a 340 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine, a monocoque steel frame, and an all-aluminum body. Weighed a diminutive 3,295 lbs (depending on body style), the Model 34 was capable of 80 mph. They were favored by the automotive elite and U.S. government, who commissioned several Model 34s for the European campaign in World War II. Being one of the period's fastest motorcars of the era, it was selected as the Pace Car in the 1920 Indianapolis 500.

The early 1930s saw the introduction of the massive Marmon Sixteen, which were built until 1933. The company went on to produce Marmon-Herrington 4-wheel drive conversions for decades.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020