Chassis No. 16-145833
Engine No. 16-544

In 1902, Howard and Walter Marmon began crafting automobiles at their family's Indianapolis flour-mill machinery company, with Howard serving as engineer and chief designer and Walter handling finances and manufacturing. Describing their cars as "Mechanical Masterpieces" in early advertising, the Marmon brothers set out to build a superior car that could take on luxury titans like Cadillac and Packard. The company's star rose meteorically after Ray Harroun piloted a Model 32-based, six-cylinder Marmon “Wasp” to victory at the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911, followed by the commercial success of their aluminum-block Model 34. Even Henry Ford himself chose a custom-bodied Marmon as his personal vehicle before acquiring Lincoln.

In 1931, as storm clouds gathered over the American economy, Marmon unveiled their magnum opus—the Marmon Sixteen. This technical marvel boasted a massive 200 horsepower, 490.8 cu-in aluminum V16 engine clothed in breathtaking coachwork designs styled by LeBaron. But at $5,000—the equivalent of more than $115,000 today—the Sixteen was a tough sell in Depression-era America. According to Dyke W. Ridgley of the Marmon Sixteen Roster, approximately 370 to 375 Marmon Sixteens were built with just 71 reported to survive, making them incredibly rare today. Marmon filed for bankruptcy in May 1933, but not before leaving an indelible legacy of engineering excellence and American ingenuity that collectors continue to celebrate.

According to Marmon historian Dyke Ridgley, this rare Marmon Sixteen Convertible Sedan was originally purchased by J. Paul Getty, oil industrialist and patriarch of the Getty family, and later handed down to his nephew in New York, New York. The car then passed through a series of American and Canadian owners, including Charles W. Bishop of Newhaven, Connecticut, Lawrence Witten who conducted the car's first restoration in the 1960s, Donat Chartier Jr. of Quebec, and Guy Freniere of Montreal. In 1981, the car joined collector Ron Murray in Englewood, Colorado, who commissioned a comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration of the Sixteen by Terry Patton of Plymouth, Michigan. The work was completed in 1997 with dark blue paint, a black top, grey pinstriping, grey leather upholstery, and tan carpets.

Selling to Detroit-based collector Marvin Tamaroff in 1999, the car was entrusted to Harry Sherry for further restoration work to bring it to concours condition. The car subsequently achieved remarkable success in CCCA competition, securing First Place in the Primary Division in 1999, First Place at the 2000 Summer Grand Classic in the Senior Division, and ultimately First Place at the 2002 Spring Grand Classic in the Premier Division. The Sixteen then passed through the famed Otis Chandler Collection before landing with the Academy of Art University Collection in 2006.

Following its acquisition by the Academy, this exceptional motorcar continued to enjoy success on the show field, including an appearance at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and taking Second in Class at the inaugural Marin Sonoma Concours in 2009. Today, the exquisite restoration still presents beautifully in its two-tone grey and blue exterior with a black canvas top, showing only gentle signs of age. The body-color wire wheels and matching side-mounted spares are complemented by tires with a period-correct appearance and polished Marmon Sixteen hubcaps. Notable details inside and out include distinctive Sportlite cowl-mounted lamps, elegantly-trimmed grey leather upholstery matched with grey carpeting, and beautifully chromed interior hardware and convertible top bows.

This grand Marmon Sixteen continues to exemplify the Marmon brothers' engineering prowess and vision for the ultimate pre-war American luxury car. It would be an ideal choice to enjoy on CCCA CARavans among many other vintage rallies for the exceptional driving dynamics that set Marmon Sixteens apart from their contemporaries.