Cars 1934-35
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Cars 1930s Duesenberg Alfa Romeo Bugatti
Chronology : 1934 1935
See also : Cars 1930s Duesenberg Alfa Romeo Bugatti
Chronology : 1934 1935
1934 Bugatti 59
2020 SOLD for £ 9.5M by Gooding
The era when Bugatti was invincible in the Grand Prix is over. Faced with the Alfa Romeo Tipo B supported by the Italian government, the Types 51 and 54 are not competitive. To stop this decline, Bugatti develops the Type 59. Six cars are built in 1934.
The 59 only wins two Grand Prix : at Spa because the Alfa Romeos had a crash and, more deservingly, in Algeria. The traceability of the Grand Prix Bugattis is based on the engines and not on the chassis, and it is impossible to discriminate between the individual cars their participations in the competitions.
These discouraging results could have been anticipated : the 59 is too heavy, too rigid, not powerful enough, with an outdated gearbox and poor brakes. It will not be replaced : following the success of his high-end sports car, the Type 55, Jean Bugatti gives priority to the roadsters.
In 1935 four 59 were sold to English customers. The car with the No. 5 engine undergoes a long series of modifications at the factory. Accustomed to its presence in their premises, the mechanics affectionately nicknamed it Grand-Mère.
Grand-Mère is now a Bugatti 59 Sports, bodyworked as a two-seaters for competitions on French roads where the Alfa Romeos do not come. Driven by Wimille, it achieves many successes in 1937. Significantly, its new chassis had been numbered like a 57, ultimately erasing the page of the 59s.
A great lover of luxury cars and an outstanding patron of the brand, Léopold III of Belgium acquires this one-off 59 Sports in 1938. Rediscovered in the former royal garage in 1967, it remains authentic in the configuration of its delivery by Bugatti to the king.
Grand-Mère was sold for £ 9.5M by Gooding on September 5, 2020, lot 4. Its image at Goodwood in 2012 is shared by Wikimedia with attribution : David Merrett from Daventry, England [CC BY].
The 59 only wins two Grand Prix : at Spa because the Alfa Romeos had a crash and, more deservingly, in Algeria. The traceability of the Grand Prix Bugattis is based on the engines and not on the chassis, and it is impossible to discriminate between the individual cars their participations in the competitions.
These discouraging results could have been anticipated : the 59 is too heavy, too rigid, not powerful enough, with an outdated gearbox and poor brakes. It will not be replaced : following the success of his high-end sports car, the Type 55, Jean Bugatti gives priority to the roadsters.
In 1935 four 59 were sold to English customers. The car with the No. 5 engine undergoes a long series of modifications at the factory. Accustomed to its presence in their premises, the mechanics affectionately nicknamed it Grand-Mère.
Grand-Mère is now a Bugatti 59 Sports, bodyworked as a two-seaters for competitions on French roads where the Alfa Romeos do not come. Driven by Wimille, it achieves many successes in 1937. Significantly, its new chassis had been numbered like a 57, ultimately erasing the page of the 59s.
A great lover of luxury cars and an outstanding patron of the brand, Léopold III of Belgium acquires this one-off 59 Sports in 1938. Rediscovered in the former royal garage in 1967, it remains authentic in the configuration of its delivery by Bugatti to the king.
Grand-Mère was sold for £ 9.5M by Gooding on September 5, 2020, lot 4. Its image at Goodwood in 2012 is shared by Wikimedia with attribution : David Merrett from Daventry, England [CC BY].
.jpg)
1934 Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3
2018 SOLD for £ 4.6M by Bonhams
The prestige of car competitions increased considerably in the mid-1920s. The Grand Prix racing was dominated by the Alfa Romeo P2 and the Bugatti Type 35. For safety reasons it was however not until the very early 1930s that the driver remained single on board, without an assistant.
Alfa Romeo designs a monoposto based on the characteristics of the P2. Constructed in 4 units in 1931, the Tipo A is too complex for working properly, with its dual engine of 6C 1750 each in parallel. None survives.
Tipo A is superseded a few months later by the Tipo B P3 with an 8C 2650 cc engine. This supercharged model dominates the season 1932 with its first series of six cars built.
In 1934 the modifications of the rules of the Grand Prix invite to heavier cars, changing the limit from 700 to 750 Kg. The Tipo B P3 model is then upgraded by a larger width and an extended bore size to a 2.9 liter engine volume.
It is also the time of the Great Depression. Alfa Romeo is put under receivership in 1933 by the Italian government which is reluctant to spend money for competitions. The Scuderia Ferrari company then becomes in 1933 an essential partner of Alfa Romeo, of which it will remain a subsidiary until 1940.
It is not possible to identify today a Grand Prix Alfa Romeo in full original condition. The traceability of the gradual installation of more efficient equipment on these cars is poorly documented. The identification of the chassis was not recorded by the administrations of the Grand Prix and in spite of the very limited number of Grand Prix cars it is impossible to identify which specific chassis had participated in which competition.
A Monoposto was sold for £ 4.6M by Bonhams on July 13, 2018, lot 352. Its known history underlines the evolution of the P3, in the range of uncertainties of the period.
Originally the vehicle number 49 in the Scuderia Ferrari, it was probably made from the 1933 second series of six chassis, or a seventh assembled by Ferrari from available parts. When it was sold by Ferrari in 1935 to Richard Shuttleworth, in the 1934 750 kg variant which had possibly been fitted to it during a rework after a crash. Shuttleworth drove it to victory in October 1935 in the Donington Grand Prix.
RM Sotheby's sold on February 8, 2017 for € 3.9M the penultimate Tipo B P3 of the 1934 group, lot 161. It was registered as number 46 by the Scuderia Ferrari during the seasons 1934 and 1935.
Alfa Romeo designs a monoposto based on the characteristics of the P2. Constructed in 4 units in 1931, the Tipo A is too complex for working properly, with its dual engine of 6C 1750 each in parallel. None survives.
Tipo A is superseded a few months later by the Tipo B P3 with an 8C 2650 cc engine. This supercharged model dominates the season 1932 with its first series of six cars built.
In 1934 the modifications of the rules of the Grand Prix invite to heavier cars, changing the limit from 700 to 750 Kg. The Tipo B P3 model is then upgraded by a larger width and an extended bore size to a 2.9 liter engine volume.
It is also the time of the Great Depression. Alfa Romeo is put under receivership in 1933 by the Italian government which is reluctant to spend money for competitions. The Scuderia Ferrari company then becomes in 1933 an essential partner of Alfa Romeo, of which it will remain a subsidiary until 1940.
It is not possible to identify today a Grand Prix Alfa Romeo in full original condition. The traceability of the gradual installation of more efficient equipment on these cars is poorly documented. The identification of the chassis was not recorded by the administrations of the Grand Prix and in spite of the very limited number of Grand Prix cars it is impossible to identify which specific chassis had participated in which competition.
A Monoposto was sold for £ 4.6M by Bonhams on July 13, 2018, lot 352. Its known history underlines the evolution of the P3, in the range of uncertainties of the period.
Originally the vehicle number 49 in the Scuderia Ferrari, it was probably made from the 1933 second series of six chassis, or a seventh assembled by Ferrari from available parts. When it was sold by Ferrari in 1935 to Richard Shuttleworth, in the 1934 750 kg variant which had possibly been fitted to it during a rework after a crash. Shuttleworth drove it to victory in October 1935 in the Donington Grand Prix.
RM Sotheby's sold on February 8, 2017 for € 3.9M the penultimate Tipo B P3 of the 1934 group, lot 161. It was registered as number 46 by the Scuderia Ferrari during the seasons 1934 and 1935.
1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K
1
Roadster
2016 SOLD for € 5.3M by Bonhams
After an early great period around 1928 with the 680 S, Mercedes-Benz is positioning more firmly in the luxury car market in 1933 with the 380 and its variant 380 K where K means Kompressor. Its 3.8-liter engine is too small and its maximum speed of 145 km/h with the supercharger does not differ sufficiently from its competitors.
With a high intelligence Mercedes-Benz appreciates that the wealthiest customers shall prefer a bigger and more powerful car even if it is much more expensive. The 380 is terminated in mid-1934 to be replaced by the 5 liter 500 and its supercharged 500 K which reaches 160 km/h on the road.
In an international perspective the 500s come at the right time. The Cord group fails to balance the budget of Duesenberg, Bugatti's La Royale is an almost total commercial failure and Bentley went bankrupt.
The coachwork becomes gorgeous, including a highly elegant long hoodline. The high end is named Roadster, understood as a synonym for Grand Tourer. Mercedes-Benz optimize the bodies by promoting a standardization at their assembly plant in Sindelfingen, but remain responsive to the specific needs of their clients.
On September 3, 2016, Bonhams sold at lot 16 for € 5.3M a 500 K Roadster coachworked in Sindelfingen. Completed in February 1935, this car is then the high-end of the brand and is immediately exhibited at the Auto Show in Berlin. It is in very good condition with its matching number engine.
It had previously been part of a tantalizing set of five vehicles demonstrating the dramatic progress of Mercedes-Benz into the later 1930s, with the 540 K introduced at the Salon de l'Auto of Paris in 1936 and the ultimate luxury, the 540 K Spezial launched in the same year, which will delight Göring.
In that sale made by RM Auctions on August 20, 2011, the 500 K Roadster was the earliest built of these five prestigious Mercedes-Benz and the only example in 500 K, the four others being 540 K. It was sold for $ 3.8M.
The other results were : $ 3M for a 1936 Cabriolet A, $ 3.1M for a 1936 Spezial Coupe, $ 9.7M for a 1937 Spezial Roadster and $ 4.6M for a Spezial Roadster from 1939 that was sold again for $ 7.5M by the same auction house in August 2013. The five cars were shown on the article shared by Sports Car Digest.
With a high intelligence Mercedes-Benz appreciates that the wealthiest customers shall prefer a bigger and more powerful car even if it is much more expensive. The 380 is terminated in mid-1934 to be replaced by the 5 liter 500 and its supercharged 500 K which reaches 160 km/h on the road.
In an international perspective the 500s come at the right time. The Cord group fails to balance the budget of Duesenberg, Bugatti's La Royale is an almost total commercial failure and Bentley went bankrupt.
The coachwork becomes gorgeous, including a highly elegant long hoodline. The high end is named Roadster, understood as a synonym for Grand Tourer. Mercedes-Benz optimize the bodies by promoting a standardization at their assembly plant in Sindelfingen, but remain responsive to the specific needs of their clients.
On September 3, 2016, Bonhams sold at lot 16 for € 5.3M a 500 K Roadster coachworked in Sindelfingen. Completed in February 1935, this car is then the high-end of the brand and is immediately exhibited at the Auto Show in Berlin. It is in very good condition with its matching number engine.
It had previously been part of a tantalizing set of five vehicles demonstrating the dramatic progress of Mercedes-Benz into the later 1930s, with the 540 K introduced at the Salon de l'Auto of Paris in 1936 and the ultimate luxury, the 540 K Spezial launched in the same year, which will delight Göring.
In that sale made by RM Auctions on August 20, 2011, the 500 K Roadster was the earliest built of these five prestigious Mercedes-Benz and the only example in 500 K, the four others being 540 K. It was sold for $ 3.8M.
The other results were : $ 3M for a 1936 Cabriolet A, $ 3.1M for a 1936 Spezial Coupe, $ 9.7M for a 1937 Spezial Roadster and $ 4.6M for a Spezial Roadster from 1939 that was sold again for $ 7.5M by the same auction house in August 2013. The five cars were shown on the article shared by Sports Car Digest.
2
1935 500K Spezial Roadster
2025 SOLD for $ 5.3M by RM Sotheby's
A supercharged 500K was coachworked in 1935 at Sindelfingen as a Spezial Roadster in a rare and beautiful short tail low door variant with the engine relocated several inches rearward. This right hand drive was delivered new to a British Lord.
It belonged in the 1970s to the Perkins collection beside one of the two surviving Bugatti Atlantic, a Duesenberg SJ and Barnato's own Bentley Blower, amidst other superlative pre WWII cars. While in that collection it won Best of Show at Pebble Beach in 1982 after a full restoration.
After 37 years in a collection, it was sold for $ 5.3M by RM Sotheby's on August 16, 2025, lot 237.
It belonged in the 1970s to the Perkins collection beside one of the two surviving Bugatti Atlantic, a Duesenberg SJ and Barnato's own Bentley Blower, amidst other superlative pre WWII cars. While in that collection it won Best of Show at Pebble Beach in 1982 after a full restoration.
After 37 years in a collection, it was sold for $ 5.3M by RM Sotheby's on August 16, 2025, lot 237.
3
1934-1936 500K/540K Spezial Roadster
2021 SOLD for $ 4.9M by Bonhams
One of the first 500K bodied as a Roadster was embellished by an abundance of chrome. Its client, a Berlin lawyer, wanted to have the best car. In 1936, when Mercedes-Benz launched the 540K model, the car returns to the factory to accommodate the new 5.4 liter engine. Its modified chassis and new engine keep the serial numbers of the original equipment.
In the early 1970s, two fans make a tour of Europe in search of valuable old cars. They have the luck to find this 500K/540K Spezial in oblivion in a garage at Poznan, disassembled but complete.
The car was sold twice by Bonhams : on July 12, 2014 for € 3.1M for the benefit of Swedish medical research charities, and for $ 4.9M on May 20, 2021, lot 160.
In the early 1970s, two fans make a tour of Europe in search of valuable old cars. They have the luck to find this 500K/540K Spezial in oblivion in a garage at Poznan, disassembled but complete.
The car was sold twice by Bonhams : on July 12, 2014 for € 3.1M for the benefit of Swedish medical research charities, and for $ 4.9M on May 20, 2021, lot 160.
1935 Duesenberg
1
Model SSJ
2018 SOLD for $ 22M by Gooding
In May 1935 the management of Duesenberg recognizes the commercial failure of their high-end chassis, the Model J released in 1928. EL Cord, boss of the group that owns Duesenberg, launches a project that could save the brand : create the best car in two units to be entrusted respectively to Gary Cooper and Clark Gable. This Duesenberg Special Speedster will be identified from 1951 with the reference SSJ.
The brand's chief designer, J. Herbert Newport, plans to use on a shortened chassis the powerful Duesenberg Special 400 hp eight-cylinder in-line engine under development. The stars give their opinion. An enthusiast about luxury cars, Gary Cooper is appealed by the unprecedented performance of the future model but prefers that this roadster looks like a classic Duesenberg. Newport gives up the idea of a modernist body.
The two cars are provided to the actors in December 1935 for a long-term loan. Cooper's wife, Sandra Shaw, immediately has sent their car back to the factory for changing the color.
Six months later the two stars receive a proposal to buy their car at one-third the price of an ordinary Model J. Cooper accepts. Gable is not interested : he already owns one of the ten units of the Duesenberg JN also produced in 1935.
Cooper and Gable did not make the spectacular use that Cord was waiting for. We do not know when Cooper sold his car. Cord could have anticipated that it is not so easy to use the capricious Hollywood celebrities as advertising agents for luxury cars. Already in 1934 Mae West had refused the project of a SJ Town Car designed especially for her by Duesenberg.
There will be no other SSJ. Its supercharged engine was only used on these two cars and temporarily on the one-off Special ordered by Ab Jenkins to race the land speed record in Bonneville.
Little used, Gary Cooper's SSJ has only 20,000 miles on the clock. It had only two owners since 1949, Briggs Cunningham and Miles Collier. Historian of automotive technology and tall ships, Collier wisely prefers to preserve the old cars rather than to restore them. This SSJ has kept intact its original chassis, engine and body and even has the canvas of its folding roof. It was sold for $ 22M from a lower estimate of $ 10M by Gooding on August 24, 2018, lot 35.
The car is driven and narrated by David Gooding in the video shared by the auction house.
The brand's chief designer, J. Herbert Newport, plans to use on a shortened chassis the powerful Duesenberg Special 400 hp eight-cylinder in-line engine under development. The stars give their opinion. An enthusiast about luxury cars, Gary Cooper is appealed by the unprecedented performance of the future model but prefers that this roadster looks like a classic Duesenberg. Newport gives up the idea of a modernist body.
The two cars are provided to the actors in December 1935 for a long-term loan. Cooper's wife, Sandra Shaw, immediately has sent their car back to the factory for changing the color.
Six months later the two stars receive a proposal to buy their car at one-third the price of an ordinary Model J. Cooper accepts. Gable is not interested : he already owns one of the ten units of the Duesenberg JN also produced in 1935.
Cooper and Gable did not make the spectacular use that Cord was waiting for. We do not know when Cooper sold his car. Cord could have anticipated that it is not so easy to use the capricious Hollywood celebrities as advertising agents for luxury cars. Already in 1934 Mae West had refused the project of a SJ Town Car designed especially for her by Duesenberg.
There will be no other SSJ. Its supercharged engine was only used on these two cars and temporarily on the one-off Special ordered by Ab Jenkins to race the land speed record in Bonneville.
Little used, Gary Cooper's SSJ has only 20,000 miles on the clock. It had only two owners since 1949, Briggs Cunningham and Miles Collier. Historian of automotive technology and tall ships, Collier wisely prefers to preserve the old cars rather than to restore them. This SSJ has kept intact its original chassis, engine and body and even has the canvas of its folding roof. It was sold for $ 22M from a lower estimate of $ 10M by Gooding on August 24, 2018, lot 35.
The car is driven and narrated by David Gooding in the video shared by the auction house.
2
Model J Convertible Coupe by Rollston
2022 SOLD for $ 4.7M by RM Sotheby's
In the last phase before the collapse of the Cord group, Rollston had become a major supplier of luxury automobile bodies for the Duesies, including the 10 cars unofficially referred as variant JN with which the brand tried in 1935 to revive the interest of the celebrities. This coachbuilder operated in New York.
A Duesenberg long wheelbase Model J made in 1935 was fitted with an earlier Rollston two passenger convertible coupe body. That bodywork had been was made in 1933 for an SJ. Its owner was not comfortable driving her supercharged Duesy and had it transferred to that Model J where it still remains.
The car was still in her ownership when the German occupants stole the wheels and tires. She sold it a few years later to a Frenchman who took it to Cuba but died just after his arrival. It was from 1967 a flagship of the Adderley collection.
Its disappearing top is a one of a kind from Rollston, although they also later made four convertible coupes in the JN series. Its highly elegant lines are nevertheless in the continuation of the convertible coupes made by Murphy for the Model J.
It was sold for $ 4.7M from a lower estimate of $ 4M by RM Sotheby's on August 19, 2022, lot 252. Its chassis, engine and firewall are also in matching numbers.
A Duesenberg long wheelbase Model J made in 1935 was fitted with an earlier Rollston two passenger convertible coupe body. That bodywork had been was made in 1933 for an SJ. Its owner was not comfortable driving her supercharged Duesy and had it transferred to that Model J where it still remains.
The car was still in her ownership when the German occupants stole the wheels and tires. She sold it a few years later to a Frenchman who took it to Cuba but died just after his arrival. It was from 1967 a flagship of the Adderley collection.
Its disappearing top is a one of a kind from Rollston, although they also later made four convertible coupes in the JN series. Its highly elegant lines are nevertheless in the continuation of the convertible coupes made by Murphy for the Model J.
It was sold for $ 4.7M from a lower estimate of $ 4M by RM Sotheby's on August 19, 2022, lot 252. Its chassis, engine and firewall are also in matching numbers.
3
Model SJ Convertible Coupe by Walker-LaGrande
2013 SOLD for $ 4.5 M by RM Auctions
Both from a technical and aesthetic point of view, cars are constantly changing throughout the 1930s. A brand that targets the absolute upscale must evolve its models continuously. By 1932 the SJ is a Model J fitted with a supercharged engine, with a top speed at 220 km/h.
J. Herbert Newport is entrusted by Duesenberg to fit a modernized body on the model J chassis. His masterpiece is a convertible coupe with the top of the doors in alignment with the front and back covers.
Three cars were coachworked on this model by a workshop of Indianapolis, AH Walker Body Company, which seems to have worked primarily, or even exclusively, for the Cord group during its short period of activity. Walker was one of the craftsmen to whom Cord attributed the LaGrande label as a mark for their bodywork.
One of these three cars was mounted on the Duesenberg SJ variant. This specimen made in 1935 is thus representing the culmination of this prestigious brand. This car was sold for $ 4.5M on March 9, 2013 by RM Auctions, lot 137. Here is the link to the release shared by Sports Car Digest.
This unique Duesenberg SJ Walker-LaGrande convertible coupe must be placed in its historical chronology.
Duesenberg soon loses the game, not because of the design but by failing to change in due time the specifications of the chassis.
The market is caught by Mercedes-Benz with their new model 540K, offering of course a wide range of bodies. The masterpiece of Hermann Ahrens, the 540K Spezial Roadster, has the same styling as the Walker-LaGrande convertible coupe.
Which one had imitated the other? Note that the 540K Spezial Roadster of the Baroness von Krieger, sold for $ 11.8M by Gooding in 2012, is dated 1936, one year after the Duesenberg Walker-LaGrande.
J. Herbert Newport is entrusted by Duesenberg to fit a modernized body on the model J chassis. His masterpiece is a convertible coupe with the top of the doors in alignment with the front and back covers.
Three cars were coachworked on this model by a workshop of Indianapolis, AH Walker Body Company, which seems to have worked primarily, or even exclusively, for the Cord group during its short period of activity. Walker was one of the craftsmen to whom Cord attributed the LaGrande label as a mark for their bodywork.
One of these three cars was mounted on the Duesenberg SJ variant. This specimen made in 1935 is thus representing the culmination of this prestigious brand. This car was sold for $ 4.5M on March 9, 2013 by RM Auctions, lot 137. Here is the link to the release shared by Sports Car Digest.
This unique Duesenberg SJ Walker-LaGrande convertible coupe must be placed in its historical chronology.
Duesenberg soon loses the game, not because of the design but by failing to change in due time the specifications of the chassis.
The market is caught by Mercedes-Benz with their new model 540K, offering of course a wide range of bodies. The masterpiece of Hermann Ahrens, the 540K Spezial Roadster, has the same styling as the Walker-LaGrande convertible coupe.
Which one had imitated the other? Note that the 540K Spezial Roadster of the Baroness von Krieger, sold for $ 11.8M by Gooding in 2012, is dated 1936, one year after the Duesenberg Walker-LaGrande.
4
Model J Torpedo Phaeton by Walker-LaGrande
2025 SOLD for $ 4.4M by RM Sotheby's
In 1935 while Duesenberg was looking for new ideas for modernizing their models, a young gentleman with great wealth stated in a detailed letter his desire for a car to match his own ideas : a body mingling luxury and sport with a convertible sedan’s features and the lines of a dual cowl phaeton, with roll-up windows and a folding top.
The project of a torpedo phaeton was executed by the in house designer Gordon Buehrig. The young man immediately accepted the very expensive quote.
Five cars were built, the original by Brunn for the young patron, then a pair by Weymann and another pair by AH Walker with the label Walker-LaGrande.
One of the Walker-LaGrande Model J torpedo phaetons,was immediately featured in a comedy film titled $ 1,000 a Minute. Retaining its original chassis, engine, firewall and coachwork, it was sold for $ 4.4M by RM Sotheby's on August 15, 2025, lot 157.
The project of a torpedo phaeton was executed by the in house designer Gordon Buehrig. The young man immediately accepted the very expensive quote.
Five cars were built, the original by Brunn for the young patron, then a pair by Weymann and another pair by AH Walker with the label Walker-LaGrande.
One of the Walker-LaGrande Model J torpedo phaetons,was immediately featured in a comedy film titled $ 1,000 a Minute. Retaining its original chassis, engine, firewall and coachwork, it was sold for $ 4.4M by RM Sotheby's on August 15, 2025, lot 157.
5
Duesenberg SJ Speedster, the Mormon Meteor
2004 SOLD for $ 4.25M by Gooding
In 1935 Duesenberg appreciated the risk to loose the market of the high end US car. Their innovations were unprecedented, including the SSJ designed for Hollywood stars, the modernized body by Newport and the ultimate racing car.
The latter example was a supercharged long wheelbase SJ racer without doors designed by Herbert Newport with a special care for aerodynamics including unusual curves. The rear has a tapered tail and the tires are covered with fenders. It was fitted with a 420 cubic inch inline eight cylinder engine producing 400 hp, to be compared with the 320 hp of a basic SJ.
This special was the fastest and most powerful Duesenberg car. It was driven to a 24 hour land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats, covering 3,253 miles at the third attempt, which is 217 km/h. 'Captain' Eyston broke this record the day after with his custom designed Speed of the Wind.
The SJ was purchased by Ab Jenkins who was the manager and top driver of the Bonneville endurance trials. It was fitted for Jenkins with a mammoth Curtiss Conqueror V12 aircraft engine. It soon retrieved the 12 hour and 24 hour records, adding to them the 48 hour record.
Jenkins was an exceptional safety driver who amassed nearly 3 million miles without an accident in 50 years of driving.
The car was nicknamed the Mormon Meteor in a contest by a local newspaper. It was retired in 1938 and the V12 was replaced by its original V8 Special which was later rebuilt.
The Mormon Meteor was sold for $ 4.25M by Gooding in August 2004, lot 37. It is described and illustrated by ConceptCarz. Its image at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is shared by Wikimedia with attribution Simon Davison from Los Gatos, United States, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>
The latter example was a supercharged long wheelbase SJ racer without doors designed by Herbert Newport with a special care for aerodynamics including unusual curves. The rear has a tapered tail and the tires are covered with fenders. It was fitted with a 420 cubic inch inline eight cylinder engine producing 400 hp, to be compared with the 320 hp of a basic SJ.
This special was the fastest and most powerful Duesenberg car. It was driven to a 24 hour land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats, covering 3,253 miles at the third attempt, which is 217 km/h. 'Captain' Eyston broke this record the day after with his custom designed Speed of the Wind.
The SJ was purchased by Ab Jenkins who was the manager and top driver of the Bonneville endurance trials. It was fitted for Jenkins with a mammoth Curtiss Conqueror V12 aircraft engine. It soon retrieved the 12 hour and 24 hour records, adding to them the 48 hour record.
Jenkins was an exceptional safety driver who amassed nearly 3 million miles without an accident in 50 years of driving.
The car was nicknamed the Mormon Meteor in a contest by a local newspaper. It was retired in 1938 and the V12 was replaced by its original V8 Special which was later rebuilt.
The Mormon Meteor was sold for $ 4.25M by Gooding in August 2004, lot 37. It is described and illustrated by ConceptCarz. Its image at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is shared by Wikimedia with attribution Simon Davison from Los Gatos, United States, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>
