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Question for Marmon Experts


Doc Hubler

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I was just curious if there is any idea what happened to Buck Barrow's Marmon. Buck Barrow was the brother of Clyde Barrow of Bonnie and Clyde fame. He abandoned his Marmon vehicle in Joplin, MO after a shootout with police there. In this infamous incident, two police officers were killed and the Barrow gang managed to escape (apparently Blanche, Buck's wife, lost her dog during the incident; she was captured later in Dexfield Park, Iowa, and Buck was mortally wounded there). I would think that the Joplin police had custody of the car for a while, but perhaps the FBI took possession of it for evidence. Anyway, was curious if anyone knew what happened to this car. I've never read about it showing up in later years. The house where the shootout took place in Joplin survived the tornado. It is a time capsule, and looks virtually the same as when the Barrow gang were living there.

Thanks,

Tim

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am no expert, but this might prove to be useful:

" I have just learned that the 1929 Marmon Sedan that Buck Barrow bought in Texas prior to the Joplin incident, had motor number T-8692, Texas license plate number 279-797. Debbie Moss said that Blanche recalled it was a "Model 98", but I can't find any info on a 98. I'm wondering if perhaps she mean't either a Model 68 or Model 78. I've contacted the Marmon Club to see if they might be able to positively identify the make and (hopefully) what color it may have been. Not sure if Marmon production records are still extant or not. "

Jim

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JIm,

Yes, I see that info on line; 1929 Marmon 68 sedan, 8 cyl. Buck traded two Fords to legally buy it in Texas, and the title documents were discovered in the Joplin apt after shootout that killed two law officers. The Marmon was abandoned at the Joplin apt. So my guess is the Missouri State Police or Joplin City Police/possible county sheriff took the car as evidence and it was in some impound lot for some time. It then disappears from the record. As far as I'm aware, it was not damaged in the shootout since the car was parked behind the apartment bldg. The new FBI really didn't have much to do with the Barrow gang investigation. So it seems it was quietly sold some years later and may be in the hands of a private owner, or it may have been scrapped as part of the WWII recycling program about 10 years later after languishing in an impound lot -- just an old used car at that point with little latent value. It does seem less likely that happened. The infamous owner probably would have made this car appear desirable to someone, even before the Bonnie and Clyde legend became popular in the 1960s.

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