The luxury car brand that pioneered the rear-view mirror and the V16 engine

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before the Big Three dominated the American automotive landscape, the Marmon Motor Car Company set the standard for luxury and innovation. From winning the inaugural Indianapolis 500 to engineering the world's first V16 engine, this Indianapolis-based manufacturer left an indelible mark on automotive history before the Great Depression forced its evolution.

Founded in 1902 by Howard Carpenter Marmon, the company grew from a parent firm established in 1851 that originally manufactured flour grinding equipment. Marmon quickly earned a reputation for producing reliable, high-performance vehicles. The brand's most iconic contribution to racing history occurred in 1911 when the Marmon Wasp, driven by Ray Harroun, won the first-ever Indianapolis 500. This vehicle was not only a technical marvel for its single-seater layout but also featured the first known automobile rear-view mirror.

The company was a hotbed of engineering ambition. By 1916, the Model 34 utilized aluminum in its chassis and body to achieve a weight of 3,295 pounds, a significant feat for the era. In the 1930s, Howard Marmon pushed boundaries further by developing the world's first V16 engine. Although Cadillac and Peerless also pursued V16 designs—often employing former Marmon engineers like Owen Nacker and James Bohannon—the Marmon Sixteen stood out with its 200-horsepower, all-aluminum engine and sophisticated body design by Walter Dorwin Teague.

Despite these technical triumphs, the company struggled against the economic pressures of the 1930s. As the Great Depression decimated the luxury market, Marmon joined forces with Colonel Arthur Herrington to form Marmon-Herrington, pivoting toward all-wheel-drive vehicles and military components. While the original automobile production ceased in 1933, the brand's legacy persisted through the Marmon Group, which was eventually acquired by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway in 2007. Today, the name remains a symbol of early 20th-century American ingenuity, appearing in everything from the memoirs of F. Scott Fitzgerald to the fictional investigations of Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe.

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