Marmon también, sí, Marmon también. Mi abuelos tuvo un Marmon de 16 cilindros durante nuestra guerra, según sus historias era algo monumental, contaba que hasta veinte soldados podía llevar sin detrimento del rendimiento. El de mi abuelo era descapotable. Yo, desde luego, no tuve la fortuna de verlo,pero sí mi padre y contaba maravillas. De cualquier forma, por si a alguien le parece una fantasía, aquí van datos reales:
Marmon fue una marca fabricada por la Nordyke & Marmon Company de Indianápolis, Indiana entre los años 1902 y 1933. Esta compañía se caracterizó entre otras cosas por innovaciones como la introducción de conceptos como el espejo retrovisor, los primeros motores V16 y la utilización del aluminio en la fabricación de sus automóviles.
La casa matriz (Nordyke & Marmon Machine Company) fue fundada en 1851 para la fabricación de molinos de harina en Richmond, Indiana y posteriormente se trasladó a Indianápolis para iniciar la fabricación de automóviles. La producción se inició en 1902 con una fabricación limitada de automóviles experimentales, y al año siguiente se iniciaron con los motores V6 y V8.
Un ejemplar del modelo 32 encumbró a la Compañía en 1911 al ganar las primeras 500 millas de Indianápolis. Ese automóvil, pilotado por Ray Harroun, estaba pintado de color amarillo y con una larga cola trasera incorporó el primer espejo retrovisor de la historia.
El modelo 34 de 1916 incorporó un motor de aluminio (straight 6) y también utilizó este material en la carrocería y el chasis para reducir su peso total que era de 1.495 Kg. (3.295 libras).
En 1924 fue substituido el fiable modelo 34 por nuevos modelos a pesar de los apuros financieros de la Compañía.
En 1929 la Compañía introdujo el modelo Roosevelt (Straight
con un precio inferior a los 1.000 $, pero el desplome de la bolsa dejó a la Compañía con muchos problemas financieros.
Howard Marmon había empezado a trabajar en el primer motor V16 del mundo en 1927, pero no pudo iniciar su producción hasta 1931. En ese momento, Cadillac ya había introducido su V16 diseñado por Owen Nacker que había sido ingeniero de Marmon.
El V16 de Marmon fue producido durante tan solo 3 años y se realizaron unas 400 unidades. Este V16, construido totalmente en aluminio, cubicaba 8.0 L, y desarrollaba 200 caballos de potencia.
Marmon continuó produciendo hasta 1933, el peor año para la industria del automóvil debido a la “Gran Depresión”.
Cuando la gran depresión redujo de forma drástica el mercado de los coches de lujo, la Marmon Car Company cesó su producción de automóviles y unió sus fuerzas con el Coronel Artur Herrington, ex-ingeniero militar implicado en el diseño de vehículos militares.
La nueva compañía, llamada Marmon-Herrington prevalece hasta nuestros días.
días.
Y ahora la Wikipedia:
Marmon's parent company was founded in 1851 manufacturing flour grinding mill equipment, and branching out into other machinery through the late 19th century. Small limited production of experimental automobiles began in 1902, with an air-cooled V-twin engine. An air-cooled V4 followed the next year, with pioneering V6 and V8 engines tried over the next few years before more conventional straight engine designs were settled upon. Marmons soon gained a reputation as a reliable, speedy upscale car.
Marmon Series 8-69 4-Door Sedan 1929
Marmon Series 16 4-Door Sedan 1933
The Model 32 of 1909 spawned the Wasp, winner of the first Indianapolis 500 motor race. This car featured the world's first rear-view mirror.[citation needed]
The 1913 Model 48 was a left-hand steering[1] tourer with a cast aluminum body[2] and electric headlights and horn, as well as electric courtesy lights for the dash and doors.[2] It used a 573 in3 (9382 cc) (4½×6-inch, 114×152 mm) T-head straight-6 engine of between 48 and 80 hp (36 and 60 kW)[2] with dual-plug ignition[3] and electric starter. It had a 145 in (3683 mm) wheelbase (long for the era) and 36×4½-inch (91×11.4 cm) front/37×5-inch (94×12.7 cm) rear wheels (which would interchange front and rear)[4] and full-elliptic front and ¾-elliptic springs. Like most cars of the era, it came complete with a tool kit; in Marmon's case, it offered jack, power tire pump, chassis oiler, tire patch kit, and trouble light. The 48 came in a variety of models: two-, four-, five-, or seven-passenger tourers at US$5000, seven-passenger limousine at US$6250, seven-passenger landaulette at US$6350, and seven-passenger Berlin limousine at US$6450. (By contrast, a Colt Runabout was US$1500,[5] an Enger 40 US$2000,[6] and American's base model was US$4250.[7])
The 1916 Model 34 used an aluminum straight-6, and used aluminum in the body and chassis to reduce overall weight to just 3295 lb (1495 kg). A Model 34 was driven coast to coast as a publicity stunt, beating Erwin "Cannonball" Baker's record to much fanfare.
New models were introduced for 1924, replacing the long-lived Model 34, but the company was facing financial trouble, and in 1926 was reorganized as the Marmon Motor Car Co.
In 1929, Marmon introduced an under-$1,000 straight-8 car, the Roosevelt, but the stock market crash of 1929 made the company's problems worse. Howard Marmon had begun working on the world's first V16 engine in 1927, but was unable to complete the production Sixteen until 1931. By that time, Cadillac had already introduced their V-16, designed by ex-Marmon engineer Owen Nacker. Peerless, too, was developing a V16 with help from an ex-Marmon engineer, James Bohannon.
The Marmon Sixteen was produced for just three years, with 400 examples made. The engine displaced 491 in³ (8.0 L) and produced 200 hp (149 kW). It was an all-aluminum design with steel cylinder liners and a 45° bank angle.
Marmon discontinued automobile production in 1933, the worst year of the Great Depression.
Marmon was notable as having introduced the rear-view mirror as well as pioneering both the V16 engine and the use of aluminum in auto manufacturing.
[edit] Marmon-Herrington
Ray Harroun's Wasp, winner of the 1911 Indianapolis 500. The car's rear-view mirror is visible on struts ahead of the steering wheel.
While the Marmon Company discontinued auto production, they continued to manufacture components for other auto manufacturers and manufactured trucks. When the Great Depression drastically reduced the luxury car market, the Marmon Car Company joined forces with Colonel Arthur Herrington, an ex-military engineer involved in the design of all-wheel drive vehicles. The new company was called Marmon-Herrington.
Marmon-Herrington got off to a successful start by procuring contracts for military aircraft refueling trucks, 4x4 chassis for towing light weaponry, commercial aircraft refueling trucks, and an order from the Iraqi Pipeline Company for what were the largest trucks ever built at the time. In addition to large commercial and military vehicles, company leaders recognized a growing market for moderately priced all-wheel drive vehicles.
This gave birth to the Marmon-Herrington Ford. The installation of all-wheel drive to commercial truck chassis is the primary focus of the Marmon-Herrington Company today.
In the early 1960s, Marmon-Herrington was purchased by the Pritzker family and became a member of an association of companies which eventually adopted the name The Marmon Group. In 2007 the Pritzker family sold major part of Group to Warren Buffet's firm Berkshire Hathaway.[8]
For the 1993 Indianapolis 500, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of The Marmon Group of companies, Eric Bachelart drove a tribute to the Marmon Wasp, actually a year old Lola with Buick power, which was uncompetitive and failed to qualify. After qualifications ended, the sponsorship was transferred to the car of John Andretti, who was driving for A. J. Foyt Enterprises. Andretti started 23rd and briefly led before eventually finishing tenth.
[edit] Notable Marmon drivers
Actor Francis X. Bushman, at the height of his movie fame in the 1910s owned a custom built purple painted Marmon.
Statesman and national hero of Finland Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim's representational car was a Marmon E-75. Much later the same car was bought by a group of technology students. It is still today the representational car of the Aalto University student union after considerable repairs.[9] The name Marmon is in Finland to some extent coupled to this specific vehicle.
J. Horace McFarland, president of the American Civic Association, owned a Marmon. In 1924, he wrote to John Gries of the National Bureau of Standards' Division of Building and Housing that his Marmon cost nine cents a mile to operate, "independent of the chauffeur."
Y, por último, para demostrar que la leyenda sigue viva, no sólo entre tú y yo, fíjate que hasta existe un club que agrupa a ¿quiénes?, ¿supervivientes? ¿aficionados? No lo sé pero aquí tienes la dirección del club por si quieres afiliarte:
http://www.marmonclub.com
Os ruego perdonéis la paliza pero... ese coche, el de mi abuelo, puede que todavía esté "vivo" en algún recóndito lugar de nuestra geografía.
Un amistoso saludo.
Aquí enlace a una foto que, pienso, se corresponde con el ejemplar de mi abuelo:
http://easyinternet.es/imagenes/marmon.jpg