Marcus C. Lawrence's Torpedo Phaeton 2511 J496

In my personal opinion,this car and the similar ones built afterward are the best looking dual cowl designs of all time. A friend looked for a long time at the picture of the Marcus Lawrence car and finally said,"Way better looking than a Rolls and that big header coming thru the side screen of the hood was the touch of the Barbarian that really finished the idea".
According to Elbert's book,the car was totaled in the Painted Desert after going thru a guard rail. My geography has failed me.Is this in Arizona or New Mexico?
I think Elbert said it was in 1937 that this happened.
I have heard that Lawrence had loaned the car to someone.Another story was he had sold it and a subsequent owner wrecked it. Another tale was that the car was idling in a roadside gas station when two idiots jumped into it and took off,not realizing that this was one really fast car and lost control and totaled it and themselves. I also have heard that the header is now on J212 which has gone thu more changes than a pole dancer.
Whatever did happen,at least there were 3 or 4 contemporaries and several repros to look at.I think J555 is one of these.Chris will correct this if it's wrong.
Look at the Twenty Grand and the idea of the BTP shows up again. Gordon Buehrig had a winner in both cars IMHO.

Bob Roller

Information on what exactly led to the car's plummet off a cliff in the Painted Desert is oddly scarce. (If anyone knows why, feel free to PM or email me.) Lawrence himself met a grisly end at about the same time under different circumstances. One of our Club members was researching a book on him recently, hopefully he will speak up here.

The engine survived although I've been told it was only suitable as a source of parts. It was in Illinois about ten years ago but I don't know where it has gone since. The supercharger was re-used on J-212 / 2234, a.k.a. the Mudd Coupe.

It is interesting that of the several Torpedo Phaeton recreations built since on original and fabricated chassis, none to my knowledge have faithfully copied all the details of the Lawrence original.

As always, any comments or corrections are welcomed.

Can anyone please relate the details of Marc Lawrence's accident that destroyed the first Torpedo Phaeton 2511 J496. Where and when did it occur and what became of the wreck?