Marmon Roosevelt History
Catalog record
Photography for this nameplate has not yet cleared the archive’s licensing and identity checks. The researched text below remains available while the page stays out of search and advertising inventory.
History
The Roosevelt was launched by Marmon for 1929 as a separate, affordable brand, sold as the Marmon Model 68 and named after President Theodore Roosevelt under the tagline 'Smart Transportation for the Thrifty.' Its claim to fame was price: at $995 for the sedan and coupe, it was the first automobile in America with a straight-eight engine to be priced under $1,000.
Power came from a 201-cubic-inch L-head straight-eight rated at about 72 horsepower, with a three-speed manual transmission. The debut was a strong one — roughly 24,500 Roosevelts were sold in 1929 — but the timing was disastrous: the October 1929 stock-market crash gutted demand.
The Roosevelt name was dropped after 1930, with the car folded back into the Marmon range (refined into the Model 70). It is remembered as a bold value play that arrived just as the market for new makes collapsed.
Generations
First and only generation · Roosevelt Model 68 (1929–1930)
201-cubic-inch L-head straight-eight (about 72 hp) with a three-speed manual; first American straight-eight priced under $1,000.
1929 Photo: “1929 Roosevelt Model 68 four-door sedan, front right” by Mr.choppers / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Body styles
- Sedan
- Coupe
Related models
Collect the nameplate
Find a scale model of the Marmon Roosevelt
Search Amazon across available years, colors, and scales. Exact releases vary, so confirm the listing before ordering.