Duesenberg Model SJ Dual-Cowl Phaeton in the style of LaGrande 1935 - World Of Classic Cars -

Duesenberg Model SJ Dual-Cowl Phaeton in the style of LaGrande 1935

The Duesenberg Model J, affectionately nicknamed the “Duesy,” continues to represent anything truly great or grand today, regardless of the chosen spelling. It was bankrolled by E.L. Cord and designed from the outset to be the world’s finest car. When the Model J debuted at the New York Auto Salon on December 1, 1928, its launch dominated newspaper headlines.
The Model J’s visually impressive, 420-cubic inch, dual overhead cam, inline eight-cylinder engine featured a free-breathing, four-valve cylinder head, and it could develop 265 brake horsepower in normally aspirated form. Other remarkable features found on the Model J included a fully automatic chassis-lubricating system that operated every 30 to 60 miles, excellent two-shoe hydraulic drum brakes, and complete instrumentation, which included a 150-mph speedometer, a tachometer, an altimeter, an eight-day clock with a split-second stopwatch hand, and more. In short, from its introduction to the present, the Model J marks the crowning achievement of the Classic Era.

THE PRESIDENT’S COMPANY CAR

Duesenberg Model SJ Dual-Cowl Phaeton in the style of LaGrande 1935

From the 1910s until the 1930s, it was not uncommon for a wealthy owner to have a favorite coachbuilt body that would be reconditioned and moved to a new chassis every few years rather than buy an entirely new automobile at tremendous cost.
Duesenberg Motors President Lucius B. Manning was no exception and had at his disposal a “sweep panel” dual-cowl phaeton designed by Gordon Buehrig and built under the LaGrande label by Union City Body Company. Buehrig’s lines were a notable sporty improvement upon the earlier LeBaron version of this design, especially when built upon a long-wheelbase chassis, as Mr. Manning’s body was.

Duesenberg Model SJ Dual-Cowl Phaeton in the style of LaGrande 1935

Mr. Manning used this body on no fewer than four different Model J Duesenberg chassis, of which this car, chassis number 2592 with engine number J-562, was one. The car was driven by Mr. Manning in Chicago, Cord Corporation’s base of operations, for about a year, demonstrating the power of the Duesenberg. When an order for a “new” Duesenberg chassis came through, the president allowed the chassis of his car to be taken for the sale (as he had before, and would again, a third time), and it was re-bodied as a Willoughby Berline for delivery to a lucky owner.

Duesenberg Model SJ Dual-Cowl Phaeton in the style of LaGrande 1935

The Willoughby body was removed years later, and the chassis was sold by A.T. O’Neill to the well-known collector Hubert Fischer, of Minnesota. Mr. Fischer was a passionate Duesenberg enthusiast who owned several Model Js during a long period of activity in the hobby. He had Mr. Manning’s original LaGrande Dual-Cowl Phaeton body recreated by respected craftsman Harold Orchard, of California, whose work was extremely highly regarded. It is important to note that the curvaceous skirted fenders, which are of the type added to many later Duesenbergs, are correct, as Mr. Manning’s original LaGrande body was so-modified during his tenure.

Duesenberg Model SJ Dual-Cowl Phaeton in the style of LaGrande 1935

The car remained with the Fischer family for many years, during which time it was regularly shown at various Midwestern concours d’elegance. It was eventually acquired from them by the well-known enthusiast Gerry Shaw, of Connecticut and Florida, for whom a partial cosmetic restoration was undertaken to a very high standard. The facility of well-known Duesenberg technician Brian Joseph, Classic & Exotic Service, of Troy, Michigan, undertook an engine rebuild and also installed one of their highly regarded reproduction superchargers, upgrading the engine to ultimate “SJ” specifications.

Duesenberg Model SJ Dual-Cowl Phaeton in the style of LaGrande 1935

Stunning in cobalt blue and khaki, the Duesenberg features biscuit tan leather coordinated with blue carpets, all of which is in fine condition, as is the tan cloth top and correct trunk. Enthusiasts will note such eye-catching accessories as six chrome wire wheels shod in wide whitewall tires, dual tail lamps, dual spotlights, and dual Pilot Ray driving lights. So striking is the car’s appearance that, in its current ownership, the Duesenberg was presented at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in 2014 and was awarded Best of Show, a testament to the elegant and classic lines of its beautiful design.

Duesenberg Model SJ Dual-Cowl Phaeton in the style of LaGrande 1935

With exhaustive work taken to make it just as it was when Duesenberg’s top man enjoyed it on a daily basis, this striking Duesenberg would be no less enjoyable to drive and show today. It has made very few concours or show appearances aside from its star turn at Greenwich, and it is ready to reintroduce to Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club, AACA, or CCCA circles, in which it would most certainly be warmly welcomed.

Duesenberg Model J Town Car by Murphy 1934 - World Of Classic Cars -

Duesenberg Model J Town Car by Murphy 1934

While the Duesenberg Model J’s production run is often quoted as being from 1929 to 1937, the majority of the chassis were in fact built in 1929; during the Depression it simply took the rest of the company’s existence to sell them. Accordingly, chassis 2531 and engine J-295 were not dispatched to one of Duesenberg’s factory branches until March of 1934, when they were sent to Philadelphia. Here, the new chassis was fitted with its original body, this Murphy Town Car, which is one of only six built. As by this time Murphy had been out of business for nearly two years, the body is likely to have been one remaining example finished “in the white,” or removed from an earlier chassis and reconditioned for a new owner.

Duesenberg Model J Town Car by Murphy 1934

That owner, to whom the car was delivered on March 22, was Ethel M. Dorrance, widow of John Dorrance, who, while working for the Joseph Campbell Preserve Company of Philadelphia, developed a method to condense and can soup. On the basis of this invention, Dorrance eventually bought out what became the Campbell Soup Company, which he led to prominence until his passing in 1930. He left his widow a fabulously wealthy woman, enabling her acquisition of the Duesenberg four years later.
Early enthusiast Bayard Badenhausen Jr. came upon the car in the early 1940s. As part of his memoirs, written for the Classic Car Club of America Bulletin and published in its January 2013 issue, he recounted that the car had extremely low original mileage, largely due to Mrs. Dorrance having had a brick thrown at her by a political agitator while riding in the car in Philadelphia. She subsequently retired the Duesenberg, which wound up in a Philadelphia garage. There, Mr. Badenhausen acquired the car in 1947 for $1,300.

Duesenberg Model J Town Car by Murphy 1934

Mr. Badenhausen recalled that “when I got the Duesy home, I was pleased to discover there were no blemishes and nothing missing. I had an incubator baby.” It was used in his wedding in 1948 and subsequently on his honeymoon, after which it was sold to his friend and ace Duesenberg mechanic Jim Hoe of the Hoe Sportcar Garage in Weston, Connecticut.
The car enjoyed short-term ownership by two further Philadelphia-area enthusiasts before being purchased in 1956 by Harold S. Johnson Jr., who would enjoy it for the next 25 years and gave its first restoration, in a brilliant off-white. It was eventually acquired from him by William G. Harrigan of Fulton, Alabama.

Duesenberg Model J Town Car by Murphy 1934

Mr. Harrigan’s widow sold her Duesenberg to the well-known Detroit collectors Richard and Linda Kughn, who brought it to the ACD Club National Reunion in Auburn, Indiana, in 1978 and also regularly appeared with it in CCCA activities throughout Michigan. The Duesenberg was owned by the Kughns until the early 1990s, at which point it moved to the West Coast and, shortly thereafter, was added to its current owner’s impressive collection.
The car was restored in its present form by the late, well-respected Mike Fennel and has subsequently been twice displayed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, in both 1990 and 2010. Finished in an attractive black and metallic silver, striped in pewter, its colors show off the stately lines to their best advantage. The rear of the roof is covered in black leather, with matching leather to the chauffeur’s compartment, which has a proper folding tendelet, and beautiful, subtly striped grey cloth to the rear. The rear compartment is especially lovely, with the fine Art Deco detailing for which Murphy was renowned in its time, including gorgeous wood decorations, their designs echoed in the cast door handles, and a speaking tube for offering directions to the chauffeur; all are in beautiful order.

Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy 1929 - World Of Classic Cars -

Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy 1929

The most well-known design of Pasadena, California, coachbuilder Walter M. Murphy on Duesenberg Model J chassis is the Disappearing Top Convertible Coupe, of which about 25 were made, all featuring a distinctive convertible top that hid neatly within the rear smooth deck when lowered. Yet, there is a rarer of beasts, the Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe, which is considered by many to be the utter pinnacle of Murphy’s work on Duesenberg chassis. It combined the standard convertible coupe’s lines with the flowing tapered rear deck of a “boattail” speedster, often finished in bare aluminum that extended forward through the beltline and down the center of the car’s cowl, giving an extra touch of sparkle in the California sun.

Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy 1929

Few Duesenbergs so beautifully combined the marque’s performance ethos with the glamour of a status symbol. Accordingly, the Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe has become one of the most remembered and revered of all the company’s creations and is among the most hotly desired by enthusiasts worldwide.

CHASSIS NUMBER 2199

Typical of the Duesenberg’s custom-built nature, each of the six original examples of the Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe differed in their detailing. Body number 876, used on the car presented here, was one of two early examples that featured a prototype early disappearing top design, in which the top is covered with a flexible leather tonneau, secured by pushbuttons around its edges; it is the only one of the pair without the chrome “rub strips” on the rear fenders, as indicated by the late Duesenberg historian, Don Howell. Most distinguishing of all is the design of the car’s tail, which, rather than forming a clean point, as on other examples, flares out again at the bottom, extends out to the sides, and then curves to meet the rear fenders, serving to more elegantly hide the rear axle and apron.

Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy 1929

Importantly, this car was also originally built with a rumble seat, as is shown in a surviving Murphy factory photograph. Tailored to fit the tapered tail, the rumble seat seats exactly one adult, for what must have been an extraordinarily exciting ride!
According to the records of the late Duesenberg historian Ray Wolff, chassis 2199 was originally equipped with engine number J-178 and body number 876. It was sold new to David Gray of Santa Barbara, California, whose father, John, had made the wise decision in 1903 to invest $10,500 in the fledgling automobile company of Henry Ford. Few better investments have ever been made; in 1919, David Gray sold the family stock back to Mr. Ford for $26 million and lived quite happily for the remainder of his life. Not only a Duesenberg owner, Mr. Gray was also an early antique automobile enthusiast on the West Coast, focusing on early Packards.

Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy 1929

His Duesenberg was sold on in 1933 to William McDuffie of Los Angeles. Later in the 1930s, like so many Duesenbergs, it was modernized with the addition of skirted JN-style fenders and the smaller 17-inch wheels. In this form, it was apparently noticed by Hollywood, as it made an appearance on the silver screen in a memorable scene of the film She Had to Eat, accompanied by Rochelle Hudson, Jack Haley, and Franklin Pangborn.
The car continued to enjoy the care of a handful of Southern California caretakers through the late 1940s, including the Beverly Hills attorney and longtime Motor Trend columnist Robert J. Gottlieb.

Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy 1929

In 1951, it was purchased by William Coverdale, an early and longtime Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club member from Waynesville, Ohio. A member of an old railroad family, Mr. Coverdale was an extremely avid Duesenberg enthusiast who regularly hosted the faithful at his farm, where this was notably his favorite. By the time of his acquisition, it was missing the original engine, which had been used by the Los Angeles dealer Bob Roberts as a source of parts. Coverdale was able to acquire another original Duesenberg engine, J-414, which he installed in the car. It remains under the hood to this day.

Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy 1929

With the “boattail” returned to presentable running order, Mr. Coverdale often enjoyed driving it. It appeared at an early ACD Club meeting in Avon, Pennsylvania, in the mid-1950s, and would occasionally reappear at Auburn over the years. It remained a prized possession of its owner until 1985, when he was finally convinced to part with it after 34 years. Soon the car was part of the famous Rick Carroll Collection in Jensen Beach, Florida. Subsequently, it was acquired by its present owners, in whose collection it has now remained for over two decades.

Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy 1929

The car was restored in the early 1990s by Mike Fennel, with new fenders made to the original design and the popular updates of side exhaust and a chromed radiator shell. Refinished in a brilliant burgundy, the body retains the polished bare aluminum finish of its beltline, cowl molding, and rear deck, as when new, with an interior in tan leather accentuated by elaborate inlaid wood marquetry of the inner door panels. The engine bay and underside remain very clean and presentable, and the paint is in overall good condition, while only light wear and wrinkling show to the leather interior. It was presented to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club in this restored form and was certified Category One.

Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy 1929

Through the years, the restored car has been featured on the cover of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club Newsletter and in most of the well-known Duesenberg tomes, including Josh B. Malks’s Illustrated Duesenberg Buyer’s Guide , J.L. Elbert’s Duesenberg: The Mightiest American Motor Car, and Fred Roe’s Duesenberg: The Pursuit of Perfection.

Duesenberg Model J - World Of Classic Cars - Rank 61

In the 1920s, Fred Duesenberg was at the top of his game. With the help of his brothers, he setup one of America's great companies in 1913. They would go on to break America's land speed record in 1920 with with a twin-engine special built for Tommy Milton. The following year, Jimmy Murphy won the French GP driving a Duesenberg which was the first ever American GP victory. This set the trend for many more stateside accolades including taking the 1924 and 1925 Indianapolis 500s.

Duesenberg Model J Dual Cowl Phaeton 1930

While the Duesenberg brothers were world-class engineers, their slumping sales led the Duesenberg company to financial difficulties. Their first real production car was the Model A passenger car and while it was advanced, it didn't sell well.

Enter the Model J

In the early 1920s, racing efforts and the Duesenberg Model A caught the attention of Errett Loban Cord. He purchased Duesenberg Inc. of Indianapolis in bankruptcy court then set out to revive the marque. His first major step was commission one of the brothers, Frank Duesenberg, to design a grand touring chassis that would be American alternative to Rolls-Royce, Hispano-Suiza, Isotta-Fraschini, Mercedes-Benz and Minerva.

Duesenberg Model J LWB Dual Cowl Phaeton 1930

First seen at the 1928 New York Auto Show, the Model J was displayed as a bare chassis. It was rather bulky in size, weighing around 2000 lbs without the body or interior which would be custom crafted for it. At such a large size, the Model J was grand enough to capture the intended market, America's rich and famous. The chassis alone sold for $8 500 USD which would have been $90 000 in 2002. Duesenberg sold bodied cars for at list double that figure.

Duesenberg Model J Dual Cowl Phaeton 1929

Most Model Js were sold as a bare chassis to be fitted with an interior and body by a third party. Such artisans included coachbuilders LeBaron, Murphy and Derham with Rollston and LaGrande bodying later cars. Gordon M. Buehrig became the chief designer at Duesenberg and standardized the Duesenberg design language. His work included designing standard hoods, lights, radiators and bumpers. Duesenberg often ordered several bodies from a coachbuilder, and sold complete cars.

Duesenberg Model J Convertible Berline 1929

Especially among the press, initial impression of the Model J chassis was favorable. With the boisterous figures released with the car, it was the fastest and most powerful American passenger car. It was also one of the first American cars to have an engine compartment as finely detailed and worked over as it's exterior.

Model J In Detail

As the technical highlight of the Model J, the engine was one of Duesenberg's, and America's, best . When Fred Duesenberg started the Model J project, he used developments learnt with the successful Indianapolis cars including engine refinements such as four valves per cylinder and twin camshafts. Fred's engine was far more powerful than any passenger car unit built in America, with little roads that could satisfy the cars 265 horse power. In fact, the closest rival engine to Duesenberg's was the 115 horse power Pierce Arrow unit.

Duesenberg Model J Convertible Coupe 1932

It should be noted that the power figure of the Model J was based off a factory experimental car which was timed to offer a decent amount of peak horsepower. Most of the chassis received a conservative timing favoring low end toque and engine reliability. For most applications the Model J was a 205 to 210 horsepower vehicle with an impressive torque output of 335 ft lbs (454nm) at low 500 rpm! More specifics on the output can be found in Robert Dearborn's Technical Ramblings found in the 1953 May Road & Track.

Duesenberg Model J Clear Vision Sedan 1929

Introduced in 1932, a supercharged variant of the Model J was offered called the SJ. This forced induction version raised power to 320 horses and increased the 116 mph top speed to 129 mph. The supercharger itself offered eight psi of boost @ 4000 rpm. Because the supercharger sat in the way of the exhaust manifold, all supercharged cars featured the well distinguished external exhaust system. This exhaust system featured chromium flex-pipe headers which could be ordered as an option on the standard Model J for $927 USD.

Duesenberg Model J Tourster 1931

Both the chassis and suspension were quite conventional in design. Two deep pressed chassis side members, measuring eight inches tall, were sufficient to support any custom coachwork that would adorn it.

Special attention was paid to the handling and braking of the Model J. Specifically, the spring rates were equalized to provide a smooth ride and hydraulic assistance on the braking made stopping an ease. A knob on the dashboard could modify the level of assistance based on dry, rain, snow or ice conditions. For the period, these featured were remarkable technology.

Conclusion

Duesenberg's Model J was responsible for a starting a trend of powerful luxury cars in America. Other manufacturers attempted to attract the same market, with much larger engines, but failed to produce a product that was as refined and extraordinary as the Model J.

Duesenberg Model J Sport Sedan 1929

Owning a Duesenberg was [and still is] a popular symbol of wealth and luxury. As such, 472 Model Js were produced, supporting the firm through the depression until the Cord empire collapsed in 1937.