1931 Marmon Sixteen Convertible Sedan
Only about 70 examples of this luxury American V16 survive today, making it one of the rarest and most coveted pre-war automobiles.
The Marmon Sixteen was the company’s ambitious response to Cadillac’s competing sixteen-cylinder engine, featuring advanced engineering that included a synchromesh transmission at a time when most manufacturers still used crash gearboxes.
The convertible sedan body style offered open-air motoring with four-door practicality, mounted on a substantial 145-inch wheelbase chassis. Factory options included radio equipment and front and rear heating systems, considered luxury appointments for the period.
Power came from a massive 491-cubic-inch overhead-valve V16 engine producing 200 horsepower, paired with a three-speed manual transmission featuring synchromesh gearing. The chassis utilized solid front and live rear axles with semi-elliptic leaf spring suspension, while four-wheel mechanical drum brakes provided stopping power.
Production lasted only briefly during the Depression, with the combination of high price and economic conditions limiting sales to wealthy buyers who could afford such an extravagant automobile.
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