1922 Marmon Model 34B

Nordyke & Marmon of Indianapolis produced flour-milling machinery for more than half a century before automobiles came along. The first motorcar built by family scion Howard Marmon was an air-cooled V-2 model built in 1902. Several iterations followed before he settled on a straight-six configuration. The Marmon company gained a solid reputation for innovative, durable, and dependable automobiles. Among the company's most celebrated creations was the rear-view mirror, which eradicated the need for a rear-facing engineer to spot the approaching competition during races. With this new feature in place, the Marmon 'Wasp' won the inaugural Indy 500 in 1911.

In 1916, the company's most successful was introduced - the Model 34. It was powered by an overhead-valve, inline six-cylinder engine with a 340 cubic-inch displacement installed in a monocoque steel frame and clothed with aluminum bodywork. The lightweight design resulted in an overall weight of 3,295 lbs, aiding in the vehicle's impressive performance and popularity. They were favored by the automotive elite as well as the U.S. government, who commissioned several Marmon 34s for the European campaign in World War II. Additionally, it was a Model 34 that broke Erwin 'Cannonball' Baker's 1916 record for driving 'from sea to shining sea.'

A bright yellow Marmon Model 34B Two-Passenger Speedster served as the Pacemaker for the Indianapolis 500 in 1920. At the wheel was none other than Barney Oldfield, the charismatic racer who is remembered as the first man to reach 60 mph on an oval track. He was also the driver of Henry Ford's infamous 999, set the world land speed record while driving the 'Blitzen Benz,' and was the winner of the first race held at Indianapolis in 1909. While pacing the field at the 1920 Indy 500, he drove the car at a minimum of 80 mph, causing polesitter, Ralph dePalma, to later comment that the Pacesetter was the fastest automobile on the track. After the race, Oldfield acquired the Marmon and proceeded to drive it all over the United States, promoting one of his business ventures, Firestone's line of Oldfield tires. '

The Marmon Model 34 was produced through 1924 when it was replaced by the six-cylinder Model D-74. Despite its successes and popularity, the company was in financial trouble by the mid-1920s, and in 1926 was reorganized as the Marmon Motor Car Co. Things became even worse with the stock market crash of 1929. Despite the weakening economy, Marmon had been working on a V16 engine since 1927, and by the time it was introduced in 1931, Cadillac had already introduced its V-16 model. Production of Marmon's Sixteen lasted for three years.

Marmon ceased automobile production after 1933 but continued to manufacture components for other auto manufacturers and manufactured trucks. They joined with Colonel Arthur Herrington, an ex-military engineer involved in the design of all-wheel drive vehicles. The new company was called Marmon-Herrington.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2021