In 1902 Howard Marmon was chief engineer of the family business that produced flour milling machinery. This was the same year he built his first car. Six cars were built in 1904 and were sold mostly to friends. In 1905 25 cars were sold, and Marmon began experimenting with a 6 cylinder engine.
The successful Model 32 was introduced in 1909. A racing variation dubbed the Marmon Wasp, painted yellow with a stinger tail, was driven by Ray Harroun (inventor of the rear view mirror) to win the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. At this time, the mantra for racing was “If you win on Sunday, you sell on Monday.”
In 1916 the Model 34 was introduced. The inline 6 cylinder engine had an advanced overhead valve design with aluminum cylinders and an air compressor under the hood for often occurring flat tires. The car has a removable canvas trunk. The small door on the passenger side of the car is for a golf bag. The Model 34 became the Model 74 and 75, selling through 1928.
