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1933 Marmon Sixteen

The Marmon Motor Car Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, was in operation from 1902 to 1933. It was founded by Howard Carpenter Marmon and would foster a reputation for appealing to the luxury segment of automobile buyers. During its early years, it experimented with air-cooled V-twin engines, followed by an air-cooled V4 before progressing to V6 and V8 engines and eventually settling on conventional straight engine designs. The vehicles they built were reliable and performance-oriented, with perhaps the most famous being the Marmon 'Wasp' driven by Marmon engineer Ray Harroun to victory in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 motor race in 1911. It was equipped with a rear-view mirror and is believed to have been the first automobile to use this technology.

1933 Marmon Sixteen photo
7-Passenger Sedan by LeBaron
View info and history
The crowning achievement of the Marmon company and its automotive engineers was the Sixteen which made its debut to great acclaim at the Chicago Auto Salon in November 1930. This technically advanced model earned Howard Marmon a medal for outstanding achievement from the Society of Automotive Engineers.

During the 'Roaring Twenties,' Marmon automobile sales were mediocre as the company struggled to distinguish its models from other prestige cars of the era. They lacked the level of technical innovation that the company had built its reputation upon, and to resolve this issue, Howard Marmon effectively 'retired' from daily operations in 1926 and focused his talents on building a masterpiece. The result of his work was the Sixteen powered by a compact, all-aluminum, 45-degree V-16 with a displacement size of 491 cubic inches. The aluminum block had wet cylinder liners, the two-barrel carburetor fed crossflow alloy cylinder heads, and the overhead valves were pushrod-operated. Due to its very smooth operation, a light flywheel was possible, resulting in rapid acceleration. Despite mechanical adjustment, the compact and well-lubricated valvetrain was nearly silent in operation. The two-hundred horsepower produced by the massive engine was transferred to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission. The 145-inch wheelbase chassis was start-of-the-art and suspended by solid front and live rear axles and semi-elliptic leaf springs. Vacuum-assisted mechanical drum brakes at all four wheels provided the stopping power. The Art Deco-inspired bodies, trim, and engine made extensive use of lightweight aluminum resulting in a car that weighed significantly less than its competition.

The styling of the LeBaron-built bodies is conventionally credited to Walter Dorwin Teague Sr., although it was his son who actually designed the bodywork, aircraft-style instrument panel, and luxurious interior. At the time, Walter Dorwin Teague Jr. was an MIT student; a gifted designer, he would design some of the most influential automobile designs of his era.

1933 Marmon Sixteen photo
Sedan by LeBaron
Chassis #: 16-140-916
Engine #: 16-893
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
The production-ready Marmon Sixteen was ready in early 1931, by which time Cadillac's V-16 had already been on the market for over a year. Initially, prices for the Marmon were more expensive than the equivalent Cadillac, plus it had the backing of General Motors and its extensive client list and resources. Coupled with the ongoing Great Depression, by 1933, Marmon was forced to reduce the prices to below those of their only 16-cylinder competitor.

The first Marmon Sixteen customer took delivery in April of 1931, and the factory closed its doors forever in May of 1933. Thus, production was limited to as few as 365 and as many as 390 examples. Of those, 44 were known to have been convertible coupes.


by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2022

Related Reading : Marmon Sixteen History

The Marmon V-16 was introduced around the same time Cadillac introduced their V-16-powered automobile. In comparison, the Marmon-built automobile was more powerful and an engineering marvel. By using aluminum, the 491 cubic-inch engine with its overhead values weighed just over 900 pounds. The engine was formed by merging twin-eight-cylinder engines at a 45-degree angle, giving the engine an impressive....
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Related Reading : Marmon Sixteen History

The Worlds Most Advanced Car or a new concept in fine cars, at least that was how Marmon Auto Company touted its Sixteen in 1931. But this proclamation wasnt without reason as the engine used all-aluminum construction that was considered evolutionary of the foundry art. Other big claims to fame included overhead valves that were actuated by pushrods from a single camshaft while both the block....
Continue Reading >>

1933 Marmon Sixteen Vehicle Profiles

1933 Marmon Sixteen vehicle information
Victoria Coupe

Coachwork: LeBaron
1933 Marmon Sixteen vehicle information
Sedan

Coachwork: LeBaron
Chassis #: 16 140 933
Engine #: 16866
1933 Marmon Sixteen vehicle information
Victoria Coupe

Coachwork: LeBaron
Chassis #: 16 143 907
Engine #: 16846
1933 Marmon Sixteen vehicle information
Convertible Coupe

Coachwork: LeBaron
1933 Marmon Sixteen vehicle information
Sedan

Coachwork: LeBaron
Chassis #: 16 140 623
Engine #: 16863
1933 Marmon Sixteen vehicle information
Sedan

Coachwork: LeBaron
1933 Marmon Sixteen vehicle information
Sedan

Coachwork: LeBaron
1933 Marmon Sixteen vehicle information
Victoria Coupe

Coachwork: LeBaron
1933 Marmon Sixteen vehicle information
7-Passenger Sedan

Coachwork: LeBaron
1933 Marmon Sixteen vehicle information
Convertible Sedan

Coachwork: LeBaron
Chassis #: 16145902
1933 Marmon Sixteen vehicle information
Sedan

Coachwork: LeBaron
Chassis #: 16-140-916
Engine #: 16-893

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Price Comparison

$335-$4,925
1933 Sixteen
$5,270-$25,545
1933 Marmon Sixteen Price Range: $4,925 - $5,270

Compare: Lower | Higher | Similar

Sixteen

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
145.00 in.
16 cyl., 490.00 CID., 200.00hp
$5,200 - $5,420
145.00 in., 154.00 in.
16 cyl., 490.00 CID., 200.00hp
$5,270 - $5,270
145.00 in.
16 cyl., 490.00 CID., 200.00hp
$4,925 - $5,270

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