As fond as I am of writing about the ubiquitous Camaros, Mustangs, and Challengers in the collector-car marketplace on a daily basis, I am also frequently drawn in the classifieds to cars that are far less common – and especially those that I haven’t heard of before. This was one that made me stop scrolling in my tracks and pull up Google for a lifeline to learn more.
The Pick of the Day is a 1929 Marmon Roosevelt listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania. (Click the link to view the listing)
“1929 Marmon Roosevelt in fantastic condition,” the listing begins. “Looks and drives great. This was my father’s car who passed away. We want to move it on to a good home rather than keep it hidden away in our garage,” the seller says.
Marmon – while sounding a bit like a religious institution – was actually a car company from 1902 through 1933, after which it became Marmon-Herrington. The original organization was formally called the Marmon Motor Car Company and was based in Indianapolis, Indiana. With roots in flour grinding equipment and in-depth knowledge of such machinery, Marmon was established when it began experimental production of air-cooled V-twin engines in the early 1900s. And within about a decade, the company had launched a couple of vehicles including the Model 32 and the Model 48.
The Roosevelt came along a while later, in 1929, and was only sold for two years. Its name was of course an homage to former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt who had been in office from 1901 through 1909 when the company was founded. Marketed with a tagline “Smart Transportation for the Thrifty,” the Roosevelt was priced at $995 and became a sales success in its inaugural year with 24,000 units sold.
Power comes from a 201-cubic-inch straight-eight which was rated at 72 horsepower, and the only available transmission was a three-speed manual. The seller says that today’s featured Roosevelt shows 76,058 miles on the odometer but doesn’t discuss much about the car’s current mechanical condition. You may want to reach out and find out more!
One more interesting thing about Marmon history: Founder Howard Carpenter Marmon was also known for having built the Marmon Wasp, which was the winning car of the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911.
The asking price is $23,500 for this unique automotive artifact of someone’s family history.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, check out Pick of the Day.
Source: www.classiccars.com