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 Dan Vaughan

Four-Passenger Speedster

The Marmon Automobile was manufactured by the Nordyke-Marmon Company of Indianapolis, Indiana. The company had become financially successful during the 19th century by making flour grinding and mill equipment. The first experimental Marmon automobile was produced in 1902, and by 1904 the company was beginning to build production vehicles. In 1911, a specially built Marmon was made to compete in the inaugural 500-mile race at the new Indianapolis race track. The yellow race car, called the Marmon Wasp, became the winner of the first Indianapolis 500 race.

In 1916, Marmon introduced a new model called the Model 34. It was powered by a six-cylinder, overhead-valve engine. The Model 34 Marmon used aluminum extensively throughout its design. By using aluminum in the body and chassis, the overall weight was greatly reduced, which contributed to the vehicle's performance. The Model 34 became one of the fastest production cars in America and won several racing and endurance competitions in America and abroad.

This car was discovered in an old gas station in 1959 in Grand Mare, Quebec. It was restored and donated to the Canadian Transportation Museum. It is painted in mustard yellow, similar to the color of the 1920 pace car.

Four-Passenger Tourer
Chassis number: 1220135
Engine number: 5620

This Marmon 34B Touring car is finished in Dustproof Gray with a gray folding top and reclining windshield. It has a Marmon-branded Moto-Meter, a pair of drum-type cowl lamps and a running-board-mounted spotlight. The engine is a 340 cubic-inch overhead valve six-cylinder unit that features an onboard air compressor that can be manually engaged for the inflation of the tires. This ingenious convenience was courtesy of Howard Marmon, son of the company's founder.

The 1922 Marmon has a unique transverse rear suspension. It has a unit frame with running boards acting as horizontal & lateral trusses. The four-passenger speedster body style was introduced in response to customer demand after seeing the 1920 Indy pace car two passenger.

The Speedster was given to Barney Oldfield after the 1920 race.

The Marmon 34 was America's fastest stock car, beating Mercer and Duesenberg (A).

In 2005, the car was given a restoration by Bob Robinson of Robinson Restorations, who had previously owned this very car in 1956.

Four-Passenger Speedster
Chassis number: 1220226
Engine number: 9836

This Marmon Model 34B wears four-passenger Speedster coachwork and is powered by a 340 cubic-inch, overhead-valve, straight-six engine with a single Stromberg carburetor and produces 74 horsepower at 2,600 RPM. There is a three-speed manual gearbox, two-wheel rear drum brakes, and a semi-elliptic leaf spring suspension in the front, and a double transverse elliptical setup in the rear. It has an aluminum body and a raked windshield.

This Marmon was built in 1922, the first year of the 4-passenger speedster. The car's earliest known history begins in the 1960s; by 1991, it was in the care of Shirley Young, and at the time, had never been restored. Mrs. Young treated the car to a restoration that was completed in the mid-1990s. After the work was completed, it was shown at numerous events and has been awarded a Senior Award by the AACA.

The current caretaker acquired this Marmon in 2018. The car is finished in a maroon over black color scheme with a biscuit leather interior. This Marmon is one of 5 known 4-passenger speedsters from 1922.

The Marmon brand name was manufactured by Nordyke & Marmon Company, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and produced automobiles from 1903 through 1933. The Marmon automobiles are most remembered for their impressive V-16 engine introduced during the early 1930s as well as introducing the rear-view mirror.

The Model 32 featured rear-view mirrors and was the first vehicle ever with this feature. It is also responsible for the creation of the Wasp, the winner of the first Indianapolis 500 race. The name 'Wasp' was chosen due to its yellow color and pointed tail.

At the 1911 Indianapolis 500 race, the Marmon was the only vehicle equipped with a single seat, rather than the popular two-seat configuration. The first seat was for the driver, while the second seat housed the mechanic. Many people were critical of the single-seat configuration. They felt it unsafe because the driver would not be aware of other cars overtaking him. A solution was devised by the Marmon crew to install a rear-view mirror on the vehicle, the first of its kind according to many historians.

In 1916 the Marmon 34 was introduced as an evolution of the Model 32. The Model 34B was powered by an overhead-valve six-cylinder engine comprised mostly of aluminum. Aluminum was used throughout many parts of the vehicle, including the body, radiator, and hood. Its 340 cubic-inch displacements produced 34 horsepower, thus its name - 'the 34'. The Model 34 was available in a variety of body styles, including roadsters, speedsters, touring, and limousines, to name a few. The only wheelbase size available was 136 inches. Weight was in the neighborhood of 3300 pounds. Production of the Model 34 continued until 1924, when it was replaced with the Model 74 and 75.

As a publicity stunt and to gain media attention about the new Model 34, a Marmon 34 was driven across America in under six days. This beat 'Cannonball' Baker's time record.

The transmission is an unsynchronized three-speed manual unit in the H pattern. Mechanical rear brakes provide the stopping power.

by Dan Vaughan