To the unstumpers go the spoils

Thanks to all of you who chipped your well-reasoned two cents to solve the mystery car that had me stymied enough to run a contest. After much consideration and pondering, I have declared a winning 3-way tie betwixt Matt DeLorenzo, Kevin Jackson, and Scott Steinfadt. If you gents send me an email at davidburge at comcast dot net I will hook each of you up with a complimentary one year subscription.

The winners all commented (fairly simultaneously on Sept 30) that the car here is approximately a 1916-20 Marmon Model 34 touring. Which, while compelling, wasn’t a complete slam dunk ID because (a) every 1916 and later Marmon 34 I can find has wire wheels, and (b) every pre-1916 Marmon 34 has hood louvers.

After consulting a few in-the-know old car aces, I am ready to conclude you three fellas were correct; it’s a 1916 Marmon Model 34 touring, but one from very early in the 1916 production run, built with leftover parts bin hubs and wheels from the previous production year. That practice was not unheard of, especially at smaller luxury brand companies like Indianapolis-based Marmon.

Just goes to show you can teach an old car-IDer new tricks.