Marmon Roosevelt History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
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Model history available. Detailed year guides are not published for this model.
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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
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