DUESENBERG
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Cars 1920s Cars 1930s Cars 1930-33 Cars 1934-35 Cars in movies
Chronology : 1931 1935
See also : Cars 1920s Cars 1930s Cars 1930-33 Cars 1934-35 Cars in movies
Chronology : 1931 1935
1929 Model J Lightweight by Murphy
2021 SOLD for $ 5.7M by RM Sotheby's
In 1926 Duesenberg became a subsidiary of Auburn, owned by Cord. During the next ten years, the three brands manage a concerted effort to master the full range of American luxury cars. In this association, Duesenberg targets the rich and famous.
1929 is a breakthrough year for many reasons. The creation of Cord Corporation streamlines the legal structure of the group. Released in December 1928, the Duesenberg Model J chassis emerges as the best in its class. The Lycoming 420 cubic inch straight-eight engine is producing 265 hp at 4,200 rpm.
The Model J rolling chassis was based on a sturdy ladder frame in alloy steel designed for top performance. Conceived as a competitor to Rolls Royce and Isotta Fraschini, it targeted the wealthy US customers from Hollywood and elsewhere.
Various leading coach builders including Murphy in California, LeBaron in New York and Derham in Philadelphia prepared open bodied Duesenberg cars suitable for enjoying the roads under the American sun and for being better visible by the public.
The pinnacle of the 1929 Model J by Murphy is the Disappearing top torpedo convertible coupe, different from the basic coupe by its tapered speedster boattail. Only two were fitted with a lightweight coachwork in polished bare aluminum.
One of them is in beautiful condition, featuring much of the original aluminum carefully restored for a maximum saving. Its chassis is original but the engine has been replaced by a period correct Duesenberg engine. It was sold for $ 5.7M from a lower estimate of $ 3.5M by RM Sotheby's on May 22, 2021, lot 156. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1929 is a breakthrough year for many reasons. The creation of Cord Corporation streamlines the legal structure of the group. Released in December 1928, the Duesenberg Model J chassis emerges as the best in its class. The Lycoming 420 cubic inch straight-eight engine is producing 265 hp at 4,200 rpm.
The Model J rolling chassis was based on a sturdy ladder frame in alloy steel designed for top performance. Conceived as a competitor to Rolls Royce and Isotta Fraschini, it targeted the wealthy US customers from Hollywood and elsewhere.
Various leading coach builders including Murphy in California, LeBaron in New York and Derham in Philadelphia prepared open bodied Duesenberg cars suitable for enjoying the roads under the American sun and for being better visible by the public.
The pinnacle of the 1929 Model J by Murphy is the Disappearing top torpedo convertible coupe, different from the basic coupe by its tapered speedster boattail. Only two were fitted with a lightweight coachwork in polished bare aluminum.
One of them is in beautiful condition, featuring much of the original aluminum carefully restored for a maximum saving. Its chassis is original but the engine has been replaced by a period correct Duesenberg engine. It was sold for $ 5.7M from a lower estimate of $ 3.5M by RM Sotheby's on May 22, 2021, lot 156. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1930-(1933) Model J Convertible Coupe by Murphy
2021 SOLD for $ 4M by Gooding
Various body types were offered by the Murphy Coach Works company of Walter M. Murphy located in Pasadena in the vicinity of Hollywood. The bodies were handcrafted and no two were exactly alike.
The most luxurious body produced by Murphy for the Duesenberg Model J was the two passenger convertible coupe of which about 60 were made between 1929 and 1932.
A 1929 Duesenberg Model J coachworked by Murphy as a convertible coupe was sold for $ 3.3M on September 3, 2022 by Worldwide Auctioneers, lot 620. It keeps its original engine, body, chassis and firewall.
A basic Convertible coupe from 1929 was sold for $ 2.53M by Morphy on October 11, 2015, lot 37 here linked on the bidding platform LiveAuctioneers. This unrestored car in all original condition is only 33,000 miles from new.
From the same year and maker, a Disappearing top convertible coupe was sold for $ 1.9M by RM Auctions on August 18, 2012, lot 229 and a Cabriolet for € 1.04M by Artcurial on February 8, 2013, lot 381.
A 1930 convertible sedan by Murphy was sold for $ 3.5M by RM Sotheby's on March 5, 2022, lot 154. A 1931 tourster by Derham was sold for $ 3.4M by RM Sotheby's on January 27, 2022, lot 152.
25 convertible coupes made by Murphy on the Duesenberg Model J had from special orders the disappearing top folding down into a low pile behind the seats. This variant is somehow the counterpart of the phaeton designed by LeBaron for the same chassis. With its disappearing side windows, this sleek machine looked like a roadster.
A 1930 Model J bodied as a disappearing top convertible coupe by Murphy had been ordered by the granddaughter of a department store chain. She requested the relocating of the dual spare wheels from the side mounts to the rear, a lovely option that highlights the elegance of the fenders. Only two similar cars had this feature, with one of them still extant. The car was recently reunited with its original rear hub supporting the spare wheels, a piece that had waited such a matching for three decades.
A replacement engine had been fitted after 1953. A specialist of the marque rebuilt it in 2017 in exacting standards meeting the tolerances defined in the factory blueprints. The car won a prestigious 100 point score and a first in Duesenberg class at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
It was sold for $ 4M by Gooding on August 14, 2021, lot 122, and is illustrated in first position in the pre sale press release. It was sold for $ 3.86M on March 2, 2024 by RM Sotheby's, lot 241. The car is titled as a 1933.
The most luxurious body produced by Murphy for the Duesenberg Model J was the two passenger convertible coupe of which about 60 were made between 1929 and 1932.
A 1929 Duesenberg Model J coachworked by Murphy as a convertible coupe was sold for $ 3.3M on September 3, 2022 by Worldwide Auctioneers, lot 620. It keeps its original engine, body, chassis and firewall.
A basic Convertible coupe from 1929 was sold for $ 2.53M by Morphy on October 11, 2015, lot 37 here linked on the bidding platform LiveAuctioneers. This unrestored car in all original condition is only 33,000 miles from new.
From the same year and maker, a Disappearing top convertible coupe was sold for $ 1.9M by RM Auctions on August 18, 2012, lot 229 and a Cabriolet for € 1.04M by Artcurial on February 8, 2013, lot 381.
A 1930 convertible sedan by Murphy was sold for $ 3.5M by RM Sotheby's on March 5, 2022, lot 154. A 1931 tourster by Derham was sold for $ 3.4M by RM Sotheby's on January 27, 2022, lot 152.
25 convertible coupes made by Murphy on the Duesenberg Model J had from special orders the disappearing top folding down into a low pile behind the seats. This variant is somehow the counterpart of the phaeton designed by LeBaron for the same chassis. With its disappearing side windows, this sleek machine looked like a roadster.
A 1930 Model J bodied as a disappearing top convertible coupe by Murphy had been ordered by the granddaughter of a department store chain. She requested the relocating of the dual spare wheels from the side mounts to the rear, a lovely option that highlights the elegance of the fenders. Only two similar cars had this feature, with one of them still extant. The car was recently reunited with its original rear hub supporting the spare wheels, a piece that had waited such a matching for three decades.
A replacement engine had been fitted after 1953. A specialist of the marque rebuilt it in 2017 in exacting standards meeting the tolerances defined in the factory blueprints. The car won a prestigious 100 point score and a first in Duesenberg class at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
It was sold for $ 4M by Gooding on August 14, 2021, lot 122, and is illustrated in first position in the pre sale press release. It was sold for $ 3.86M on March 2, 2024 by RM Sotheby's, lot 241. The car is titled as a 1933.
One of only two created with rear spares, this comprehensively restored and authenticated 1930 #Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Convertible Coupe represents the zenith of West Coast coachbuilding. #PebbleBeachAuctions
— Gooding & Company (@goodingandco) July 10, 2021
-
Register to Bid: https://t.co/cYeef63uUa pic.twitter.com/fikKzK4lgh
(1931)-1934 Model J Convertible Coupe by Murphy
2024 SOLD for $ 3.75M by Gooding
A Model J was delivered new in 1931 to a grandson of John Roebling of Brooklyn Bridge fame.
Its original body, a LaGrande Sweep Panel Dual-Cowl Phaeton, was badly damaged in an accident. It was replaced in 1934 by a Murphy Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe and the car was re-titled from that year. Walter M. Murphy had terminated their business in 1932. The plate is nevertheless referring to MURPHY / COACH BUILDERS / PASADENA.
The car was sold by Gooding for $ 1.8M in January 2010, lot 9, and for $ 3.75M on August 16, 2024, lot 25. It is illustrated in top position in the 2024 pre sale press release. It is believed to retain its original engine, chassis, and firewall. After a show quality restoration, it had been awarded the Best of show at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club annual meeting in 1986.
That Murphy is one of two remaining convertible coupes with dual rear mounted spares, the other one being the 1930 example sold for $ 4M by Gooding on August 14, 2022, lot 122.
Its original body, a LaGrande Sweep Panel Dual-Cowl Phaeton, was badly damaged in an accident. It was replaced in 1934 by a Murphy Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe and the car was re-titled from that year. Walter M. Murphy had terminated their business in 1932. The plate is nevertheless referring to MURPHY / COACH BUILDERS / PASADENA.
The car was sold by Gooding for $ 1.8M in January 2010, lot 9, and for $ 3.75M on August 16, 2024, lot 25. It is illustrated in top position in the 2024 pre sale press release. It is believed to retain its original engine, chassis, and firewall. After a show quality restoration, it had been awarded the Best of show at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club annual meeting in 1986.
That Murphy is one of two remaining convertible coupes with dual rear mounted spares, the other one being the 1930 example sold for $ 4M by Gooding on August 14, 2022, lot 122.
1930-(1931) Model J Convertible Coupe by Murphy
2023 SOLD for $ 4.3M by RM Sotheby's
Murphy did not offer his disappearing top for the Duesenberg factory stock coupes but only as a custom bespoke option.
In a first phase, the top folded down into a pile behind the driver's seat, as for most convertibles of the time. By 1931 the top folded down into a low well behind the seat and was covered by a leather tonneau and later by a metal lid. The folded top associated with the disappearing windows provided the best sporting look to the car, much enjoyed in Hollywood.
A Duesenberg Model J Disappearing top coupe by Murphy made in 1930 but titled 1931 was originally or slightly later finished in a primrose yellow with apple green fenders. It was once owned in that configuration by a son of Buster Keaton.
Still in that livery, this eccentric car of the 1930s had a later career in movies and in television series, beginning in 1962 with What Ever Happened to Baby Jane ?, the thriller film that narrated the long term consequences of a car accident in 1935.
The car retains its original chassis, engine and body, and even its matching number crankshaft. After a painstaking three year restoration that earned it a lot of best in class awards, it was sold by RM Sothebys for $ 3.5M on May 2, 2015, lot 244, and for $ 4.3M on March 4, 2023, lot 135.
In a first phase, the top folded down into a pile behind the driver's seat, as for most convertibles of the time. By 1931 the top folded down into a low well behind the seat and was covered by a leather tonneau and later by a metal lid. The folded top associated with the disappearing windows provided the best sporting look to the car, much enjoyed in Hollywood.
A Duesenberg Model J Disappearing top coupe by Murphy made in 1930 but titled 1931 was originally or slightly later finished in a primrose yellow with apple green fenders. It was once owned in that configuration by a son of Buster Keaton.
Still in that livery, this eccentric car of the 1930s had a later career in movies and in television series, beginning in 1962 with What Ever Happened to Baby Jane ?, the thriller film that narrated the long term consequences of a car accident in 1935.
The car retains its original chassis, engine and body, and even its matching number crankshaft. After a painstaking three year restoration that earned it a lot of best in class awards, it was sold by RM Sothebys for $ 3.5M on May 2, 2015, lot 244, and for $ 4.3M on March 4, 2023, lot 135.
Simply the best of the best. The top surviving Murphy “Disappearing Top” Convertible Coupe headlines the Private Collection offered at Amelia Island. https://t.co/yL0d9eD6Qa pic.twitter.com/w7jPet3mGC
— RM Sotheby's (@rmsothebys) February 4, 2023
Undoubtedly one of the best known and most beautiful Duesenbergs was the “Disappearing Top” Convertible Coupe. https://t.co/yL0d9eD6Qa pic.twitter.com/F9MRw7UPCe
— RM Sotheby's (@rmsothebys) February 22, 2023
1931 Model J LWB
2011 SOLD for $ 10.3M by Gooding
Captain Whittell was an exuberant American who had preserved his immense fortune by selling his shares just a few days before the financial crash of 1929. Such a character would have some Duesenbergs: he owned no less than six model J's.
At that time, customers bought the chassis and selected the body shop. The choice was great, which gives an infinite variety to Duesenberg vehicles.
The high end was the lengthened Model J chassis (long wheelbase). This huge machine 3.90 m long exceeded by 30 cm the standard (short wheelbase) Model J.
Whittell bought a long wheelbase in 1931 and made it equipped as a coupe by the stylist Franklin Hershey. The result is a surprising example of American Art Deco, including a folding roof that makes this car look like a convertible. The general shape is aerodynamic, anticipating the trend of the automotive design of the later 1930s.
It was sold for $ 10.3M on 20-21 August 2011 by Gooding. Totaling less than 20,000 km, it is in perfect working order.
At that time, customers bought the chassis and selected the body shop. The choice was great, which gives an infinite variety to Duesenberg vehicles.
The high end was the lengthened Model J chassis (long wheelbase). This huge machine 3.90 m long exceeded by 30 cm the standard (short wheelbase) Model J.
Whittell bought a long wheelbase in 1931 and made it equipped as a coupe by the stylist Franklin Hershey. The result is a surprising example of American Art Deco, including a folding roof that makes this car look like a convertible. The general shape is aerodynamic, anticipating the trend of the automotive design of the later 1930s.
It was sold for $ 10.3M on 20-21 August 2011 by Gooding. Totaling less than 20,000 km, it is in perfect working order.
1933 Model J Roadster by Bohman and Schwartz
2018 SOLD for $ 3.85M by Mecum
A Duesenberg Model J equipped by Bohman and Schwartz as a disappearing top roadster was sold for $ 3.85M by Mecum on August 25, 2018, lot S 93. The short video was prepared by Mecum was released before it passed on August 20, 2016, lot S 114.
Born into a family of industrialists of the lumber, Walter M. Murphy had sought fortune in California. In 1920 he opened a coachbuilding shop in Pasadena by relying on the professional experience of one of his associates. He had no competitor for luxury cars in the area and became the provider of Duesenberg cars to the wealthy Hollywood residents.
An advised businessman, Murphy had therefore no specific training nor a sustained vocation for car bodies. The very sudden termination of his company in April 1932 is not related to the economic crisis because the backlog was abundantly filled. Murphy had lost a lot of money in an investment and felt the need to change his activities. He will become in the following year a major dealer for the Standard Oil Company.
The buyer of his workshop is unable to maintain the business. This is an opportunity for two former employees of Murphy, Bohman and Schwartz, to join their skills for processing the contracts unfinished by their former boss and for proposing the transformation of bodyworks from all brands.
The actress Marie Dressler briefly owned a convertible sedan assembled by LeBaron on a Duesenberg Model J long wheelbase which was the top end as a luxury chassis at that time. Her car was bought in 1933 by the film producer and director Roy Del Ruth.
Much younger than Dressler, Del Ruth expects a more modern look. He commissions to Bohman and Schwartz the transformation of his Duesenberg into a roasdster. This specific order makes this car the only example of a Model J LWB convertible coupe by B and S.
Born into a family of industrialists of the lumber, Walter M. Murphy had sought fortune in California. In 1920 he opened a coachbuilding shop in Pasadena by relying on the professional experience of one of his associates. He had no competitor for luxury cars in the area and became the provider of Duesenberg cars to the wealthy Hollywood residents.
An advised businessman, Murphy had therefore no specific training nor a sustained vocation for car bodies. The very sudden termination of his company in April 1932 is not related to the economic crisis because the backlog was abundantly filled. Murphy had lost a lot of money in an investment and felt the need to change his activities. He will become in the following year a major dealer for the Standard Oil Company.
The buyer of his workshop is unable to maintain the business. This is an opportunity for two former employees of Murphy, Bohman and Schwartz, to join their skills for processing the contracts unfinished by their former boss and for proposing the transformation of bodyworks from all brands.
The actress Marie Dressler briefly owned a convertible sedan assembled by LeBaron on a Duesenberg Model J long wheelbase which was the top end as a luxury chassis at that time. Her car was bought in 1933 by the film producer and director Roy Del Ruth.
Much younger than Dressler, Del Ruth expects a more modern look. He commissions to Bohman and Schwartz the transformation of his Duesenberg into a roasdster. This specific order makes this car the only example of a Model J LWB convertible coupe by B and S.
1935
Intro
1
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
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.
The last car that Duesenberg commissioned to Rollston was a long 153.5 inch wheelbase Model J prepared as an opulent convertible berline for the 1936 New York Auto Show. It had the highest price tag in the show, at $ 17,000, and was purchased by the president of Coca-Cola. It was later owned by a jazz musician for nearly half a century. This 487th and last Model J was sold for $ 2.7M by Mecum on August 20, 2020, lot S37.
A victim in its turn of the financial crisis, Rollston went bankrupt in 1938.
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.
The last car that Duesenberg commissioned to Rollston was a long 153.5 inch wheelbase Model J prepared as an opulent convertible berline for the 1936 New York Auto Show. It had the highest price tag in the show, at $ 17,000, and was purchased by the president of Coca-Cola. It was later owned by a jazz musician for nearly half a century. This 487th and last Model J was sold for $ 2.7M by Mecum on August 20, 2020, lot S37.
A victim in its turn of the financial crisis, Rollston went bankrupt in 1938.
3
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 granted 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 granted 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
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>
