Tuesday 7th April 1931

The first production Marmon Sixteen was completed. The vehicles produced by Colonel. Howard C. Marmon were not your customary American automobiles. In engineering terms, the Marmon was always a superior car. In aesthetics, they were always modern and tasteful, and in quality, few could compare. Conceived over many years, the crowning achievement of this firm was a grand automobile that carried a magnificent 491 cubic inch, all-alloy 16-cylinder engine – the Marmon Sixteen, first introduced in 1930.

Although the engineering and build quality were the work of Marmon, Walter Dorwin Teague and, to a large extent, his son, WD Jr. was responsible for the modern, almost architectural bodies that were mounted atop the magnificent chassis. Their designs were realized almost exclusively by LeBaron and made extensive use of alloy panels and fittings, techniques that were in keeping with the brilliantly engineered Sixteen.

Despite its incomparable performance and cutting-edge designs, the Great Depression ensured that the Sixteen, which typically cost at least $5,000, sold slowly and less than 400 were constructed. Today, owning a Sixteen is a sign of good taste, mechanical appreciation and wise judgment.