Duesenberg Model J

Fred & August Duesenberg were born in Germany, and came to the U.S. as children.  Fred was a self-taught engineering genius, and had built a racing car as early as 1903. 
 
In 1914, a Duesenberg driven by Eddie Rickenbacker took 10th place in the Indianapolis 500-mile race.  In 1921, a Duesenberg driven by Jimmy Murphy became the first and only American car to win the French Grand Prix.  In 1924, 1925 and 1927, Duesenbergs won the Indianapolis “500”.

The Duesenberg Model A passenger car was introduced in 1920, with many features based on the Duesenbergs' racing experience -- light, built with lots of aluminum in its structure, four-wheel hydraulic brakes (a Duesenberg innovation), and a 90-horsepower inline-8 engine.  Duesenberg built the Model A until 1926 when E.L. Cord acquired control of the company.
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 The Model J (with carburetors) The Model J series Duesenberg was introduced in 1928, and is perhaps one of the finest examples of American coachbuilt automobiles of the 1920s and 1930s.  When Duesenberg introduced their Model J, it was offered as chassis only, for $8,500.  Most buyers would then take the chassis to a custom coachbuilder for fitment of a body. Coachbuilding was popular decades ago among the extremely wealthy for whom the ordinary offerings of the automotive industry weren't anywhere near exclusive enough, so they had special bodywork fitted to regular cars to make them their own.  Some ultra-luxury vehicles sold as chassis only.  For instance, 

• Offered 265hp, up to 90 mph in 2nd gear, and top speed of 116 mph
• DOHC I-8 engine of almost 7 liters displacement.  Twin chain-driven, overhead camshafts operating four valves per cylinder.  Aluminum connecting rods & pistons, chrome-nickel steel crankshaft, five main bearings of 2 3/4” diameter.  Vibration dampening was cartridges 94% full of mercury bolted to the crank cheek between cylinders 1 & 2; the inertia of the mercury sloshing around in the cartridges was sufficient to absorb the torsional vibrations of the long (I-8) crankshaft.
• 3-speed gearbox, two-plate clutch, torque-tube drive, ladder-type chassis frame (8 1/2” deep with six crossmembers), and semi-elliptic springing.  Semi-floating rear axles were 2 3/16” in diameter, and bored out to save weight,.

• Instrument panel had an altimeter-barometer, tachometer, stopwatch-chronometer, brake pressure gauge, plus all the usual instruments.  Also had four large indicator lights:​
• one to warn driver to put water in battery
• one illuminates each 750 mile oil-change interval
• ​two were associated with automatic chassis lubricator; red light regularly flashing indicates lubricant is going to the various intended places on the vehicle, while a green light indicates a dry oil reservoir

Model SJ (with centrifugal supercharger) came out in 1932; raised available power to 320 hp, enabling 104 mph in 2nd gear, 130 mph in high (3rd).
Somewhere around 500 Model “J”s were built before production ended in 1937.

Duesenberg was primarily a chassis builder.  Gordon Buehrig, designer of the 810 Cord, designed some of the most beautiful Duesenberg bodies in Duesenberg's own shop.  Many bodies were built by La Grande, which was owned by Duesenberg.  Other American builders of Duesenberg car bodies included Murphy, Locke, Le Baron, Judkins (and others.)  Some bodies were also built in Europe for clients there.
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The Duesenberg in the Museum of American Speed is a 1930 Model J Four-Door Convertible, with body by Murphy of California.

Our 1930 Duesenberg Model J:

• Carries engine #J-211 (the 111th J engine built) and chassis #2231 (the 107th J chassis built.)
• ​Chain of ownership and general ownership periods:
  • Calvin Pardee III, from March 24, 1930 (original purchase date)
  • L. R. Stuyvesant, sometime in the 30s
  • Owney "The Killer" Madden, sometime in the 30s
  • Possibly Philip Murray, labor leader, sometime before WW-II (unconfirmed; reported by Emile Robitaille's son)
  • Emile Robitaille, from before WW-II until 1949
  • Gordon White, from 1949 until 1955
  • Jack Doney from, 1955 until 1973
  • Laurence "Baron" Dorcy and Marshall Mathews, from 1973 until 2004
  • Museum of American Speed, since 2004