Howard C. Marmon’s preoccupation with speed garnered fame in 1911 when a Marmon Wasp won the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500. Twenty years later, that passion for speed led to the Indiana firm’s greatest offering: the Marmon Sixteen.

The proclamation “the world’s most advanced motor car” was not just marketing bravado; the car had the mechanical and aesthetic bona fides to back it up. Marmon’s advanced chassis, combined with luxurious coachwork, made for a motoring experience unlike any other.

Introduced a year after Cadillac’s V-16, the Marmon engine bested its rival in several ways. It produced 200 hp to the competition’s 175 hp rating. Torque, at nearly 400 lbs./ft., was significantly higher than that of the Cadillac. This prodigious output came from an aluminum-alloy engine that weighed just 930 pounds, providing the Sixteen with the highest power-to-weight ratio of its time.

In 1931, the Marmon Sixteen earned the Stevens Trophy for speed and endurance at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and each car came with a “Speedway Certificate” validating its 100 mph speed in a chassis test at the track.

In appearance, too, the Marmon was unlike any other. Its clean lines, free of ornamentation, is Art Deco at its best. The bold grille design composed of horizontal bars makes a broad-shouldered presence, while the profile is elegant in its simplicity. Credit for the styling goes to Walter Dorwin Teague Jr., who remarked, “I knew instinctively that the Marmon Sixteen body design was the chance of a lifetime.” Production of his powerful design was entrusted to LeBaron.

Production estimates for the three-year run of all Sixteen body styles range from 365 to 370, with approximately 70 cars existing today in complete form. Of the remaining Sixteens, just nine examples of the handsome Victoria Coupe survive today.

Thanks to Dyke Ridgley’s Marmon Sixteen Roster, the known history of this car has been thoroughly chronicled all the way back to its first owner, the famed American industrialist Eli Lilly Jr.

Chassis 16-143-804 was delivered to its prominent original owner in 1932, the same year that he became president of Eli Lilly and Company, the Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant established by his grandfather. A modest, unassuming Hoosier with a sharp intellect and wide-ranging interests – from archaeology to historic preservation – Eli Lilly Jr. was precisely the type of owner Marmon had in mind when developing the Sixteen. It is believed that Mr. Lilly owned this Victoria Coupe for approximately 18 months before returning it to Marmon.

In 1933, Norman F. Beck of Anderson, Indiana, purchased the secondhand Sixteen through the Marmon factory receivers. A Delco Remy engineer by trade, Mr. Beck treasured his Marmon for the next 50 years, driving it over 200,000 miles and performing any required service and repairs himself. The trusty Sixteen served as his daily driver for decades, even during the lean years of WWII, when gas rationing forced him to run it on one bank of cylinders for improved fuel economy.

After the war, Mr. Beck’s Marmon became well known in Midwest car collecting circles: in 1955, it was pictured in The Classic Car; at the 1962 CCCA Grand Classic it toured the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; and even into the early 1980s it made frequent appearances at local car shows. In a letter to fellow Marmon enthusiast Ed Robinson, Mr. Beck proudly exclaimed, “I can honestly say the Marmon has been the best car I have ever owned.”

In 1982, Mr. Beck finally sold his beloved Marmon to Dr. J. Otto Lottes of St. Louis, Missouri, who reportedly drove the car fewer than ten miles during his ownership. In 1986, Stephen P. Dean became the Victoria Coupe’s next owner, satisfying a long-held goal of acquiring a Sixteen. Although it continued to see limited use during Mr. Dean’s ownership, it was exhibited in the prewar preservation class at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®.

Today, this wonderful Marmon remains in remarkably original order, a testament to the extraordinary care it has enjoyed. Still retaining much of its original black paint, this Sixteen is a true unrestored survivor – the likes of which are seldom seen. Accompanying the sale is a remarkable history file that includes copies of Marmon Motors Inc. invoices from 1936, an original 1932 company stock certificate, as well as correspondence, period photos, sales literature, and newspaper clippings.

Presented here is a rare opportunity to acquire an exceptional Marmon Sixteen with a rich, fascinating history and uncommon originality. Gooding & Company is delighted to offer this outstanding American classic on behalf of its fourth owner and knows that its fifth caretaker will be acquiring a special automobile.