This automobile is a 1911 Marmon Model 32 that was created by combing the parts of two wrecked Model 32 cars. Before the Marmon Motor Car Company of Indianapolis made their first automobile, the family-owned business specialized in the production of milling machines. In 1902, the chief engineer, Howard Marmon, began experimenting in automobile construction and built his first production vehicle in 1905. The Model 32 was released in 1908 and three years later, Ray Harroun and a Model 32 known as the Wasp became famous for winning the first Indianapolis 500. The Model 32 was produced until 1914 when it was replaced with a refined six-cylinder engine and renamed the Model 41. During the Great Depression, the market for luxury vehicles declined and the Marmon Motor Car Company joined forces with Colonel Arthur Herrington, to form Marmon-Herrington. The company began producing military vehicles such as trucks and tanks for the war effort. Today the company manufacturers axles and transfer cases for trucks and other vehicles.

This 1911 Marmon was a standard Model 32 converted into a racecar in 1918 by Frank Carmack from Rockford, Illinois. The car is an example of how early racecars were created through salvaging discarded or used cars driven in local competitions. It is believed Carmack built this racecar using the parts of two wrecked Model 32 touring cars and replaced the original touring body with a two-man racecar body. This Marmon and its modifications are a representation of how early race vehicles were made, which gave rise to the process of hot rodding and custom car making. It is not known if Carmack raced this vehicle, but it was displayed inside the Indianapolis racing exhibit at the 1933 Century of Progress to highlight Marmon’s victory at the first Indianapolis 500.