1932 Marmon Sixteen LeBaron Convertible Sedan
Howard Marmon’s V-16 debuted at the Chicago Auto Salon in November 1930 to considerable acclaim, earning him the SAE’s Wright Medal for outstanding achievement the following month.
The engine itself justified the recognition: a compact, even-firing 45-degree design of 491 cubic inches (8.0 liters), with pushrod-operated overhead valves and an aluminum block fitted with wet cylinder liners.
All chassis were tested at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before being sent out for coachwork, and the car was guaranteed capable of 105 mph.
The bodies were built by LeBaron, though the styling is generally credited to Walter Dorwin Teague, whose lines were nearly devoid of gratuitous ornamentation, with uncompromising proportions accentuated by elegant trim and gracefully curved rear decks.
The Art Deco character runs throughout the interior appointments as well, with the dashboard treated in painted and chrome-trimmed finishes rather than the veneered wood of rival luxury marques.
The Sixteen’s unforeseen weakness was its timing. Cadillac’s V-16 had reached the market in early 1930, backed by General Motors’ resources, while Marmon stood alone against a deepening Depression.
Production for the 1931 to 1933 run totaled approximately 390 examples, with roughly 70 believed to survive today in complete form. The Convertible Sedan is among the most desirable body styles in that small pool.
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