Marmon Sixteen Lebaron Convertible Coupe

In the 1930s, two Marmon Sixteens were driving around in the Netherlands; this is the only one that remains.

In the 1930s two Marmon Sixteens were driving around in the Netherlands; this is the only one that has survived. The rare car, of which only 390 examples were built, is completely unrestored and also the most original Marmon Sixteen in the world. It was painted by hand and the owners initials can still be seen on the doors. The spotlight in the middle of the bumper turns with the steering wheel. Of the other Dutch example, only the impressive eight liter sixteen cylinder engine remains, which is displayed here next to the car. What is special is that this Marmon Sixteen was designed by a 19 year old student, Walter Dorwin Teague jr., son of the famous industrial designer Richard Teague. Walter manages to convince his father that he can design the car and draws this and other bodies in the hours he is free from school. Coachbuilder LeBaron realizes many of his designs, including this one. From a technical point of view, the Marmon Sixteen is highly advanced, partly thanks to the fact that almost the entire engine is made of aluminum. The Marmon engine is lighter than the Cadillac V16 introduced in 1930 and has so much torque that the car can pull away from a standstill in top gear and then continue accelerating up to 160 km/h. In 1931 Howard Marmon receives the medal for the most important technological development of the year from the Society of Automotive Engineers. Even so, the sixteen cylinder becomes the swan song of the brand: the factory closes in 1933.