Istorie
The coachwork of this particular Duesenberg was made by Walter M. Murphy Coachwork. Designated a berline convertible sedan, the body was one of two produced. However, the second was converted to a fixed top by its owner which makes this unit a one-of-a-kind.
Full description
The Duesenberg Model J was designed to be America's alternative to the prestigious European brands such as Rolls-Royce, Hispano-Suiza, Isotta-Fraschini and Mercedes-Benz and it certainly succeeded.
The coachwork of this particular Duesenberg was made by Walter M. Murphy Coachwork. Designated a berline convertible sedan, the body was one of two produced. However, the second was converted to a fixed top by its owner which makes this unit a one-of-a-kind. The driver’s compartment was a feast for the enthusiast’s eyes and had a complete set of instruments. Most cars had speedometers, oil pressures fuel, water temperature, gauges and ammeters, but the Duesemberg started with these and went on with 5000 rpm tachmeter, altimeter, brake pressure gauge and four lights which periodically flashed on as a reminder to service the car.
Most Duesenbergs have great histories. The car was out of the ordinary and its owners as well. Duesenbergs’ owners included royalty such as King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, King Alfonso XIII of Spain, the Duke of Windsor, Prince Nicholas of Romania (who bought three and raced one at Le Mans) and Queen Maria of Yugoslavia, a client list Ettore Bugatti would have coveted for his Royale which was produced at the same time and was never once purchased by royalty. Automotive enthusiast King Alfonso had a vast fleet of cars, but when he was overthrown by the Spain revolution, he chose his Duesenberg to take into exile with him.
Movie stars too purchased the Duesenberg Model J in droves and such was the esteem of the marque, that Greta Garbo, Mae West, Dolores del Rio, Marion Davies, Gary Cooper or Clark Gable had one and Tyrone Power owned exactly the unit exhibited here. Dolores del Rio's husband, Cedric Gibbons, the famous film art director and creator of the 'Oscar' statuette, was also a "Duesy" owner.
The list of high profile owners was a veritable who's who: abstract artist Rudolf Bauer, industrialist Howard Hughes, spiritual leader Father Divine, gangster Al Capone, Evalyn Walsh McLean and William Randolph Hearst all had Model Js. Given that only 480 Model Js were ever produced, that's quite some clientele.
This car won at the 2016 edition of the " Alla Corte dei Medici " Elegance Contest the 1st place in the Antebelic category of the "Il Neoclassicismo" class and in the 2017 edition of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa D'Este the 1st place in it`s category - "Viaggiare con stile: Il Giro del Mondo in 40 years".
This car has done a total of 2,268 miles (approx. 3,650 km).
