Duesenberg

Duesenberg was a US-based luxury automobile company active from the 1910s until 1937.

Related Topics:
US - Automobile

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In 1913 the Duesenberg Brothers, Fred and August, founded Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company, Inc. in St. Paul, Minnesota, to build sports cars. Born in 1885 in Germany, the two brothers were self-taught engineers and built many experimental cars. Duesenberg cars were considered some of the very best cars built at the time, and were built entirely by hand. In 1914 Eddie Rickenbacker drove a "Duesy" to finish in 10th place at the Indianapolis 500 and a Duesenberg car won the race in 1924, 1925, and 1927. 1923 saw the only use of the Duesenberg as the pace car at the Indianapolis 500. In 1921, Jimmy Murphy became the first American to win the French Grand Prix when he piloted a Duesenberg to victory at the Le Mans racetrack.

Related Topics:
Fred - August - St. Paul, Minnesota - Sports car - Germany - Eddie Rickenbacker - Indianapolis 500 - Pace car - Jimmy Murphy - French Grand Prix - Le Mans

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Although the Duesenberg brothers were world-class engineers, they were unable sell their Model A car, their first mass produced vehicle, which was considered very advanced. Instead, the company went bankrupt and closed in 1922.

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Errett Lobban Cord, the owner of Cord Automobile, Auburn Automobile and many other transportation companies, bought the company for the Duesenberg Brothers' engineering skills in 1925 and the brand name to produce luxury cars. Hiring Fred Duesenberg to design the chassis and an engine that would be the best in the world, the newly revived Duesenberg company set about to produce the Model J. The Model J Duesenberg was first available at the New York Car Show of 1928. In unsupercharged form it boasted a whopping 265 horsepower (198 kW), straight-8 engine with dual overhead camshafts, and was capable of a top speed of 119 mph (192 km/h), and 94 mph (151 km/h) in 2nd gear.

Related Topics:
Errett Lobban Cord - Cord Automobile - Auburn Automobile - Horsepower - Straight-8 - Dual overhead camshaft - Mph

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Only the chassis and engine were displayed at the 1928 New York Car Show, since the interior and body of the car would be custom-made by an experienced coachbuilder to the owner's specifications. The bodywork made for Duesenbergs came from coachbuilders in both North America and Europe, and the finished cars comprised some of the largest, grandest, most beautiful and most extravagantly elegant cars ever created. The chassis cost $8,500 (about $100,000 in 2004), the completed base model cost $13,500, and for $20,000+ you could have the top-of-the-line model.

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Introduced in 1932 was the supercharged 320 hp Duesenberg SJ, which had a top speed of 135 mph. Quickly the Duesenberg became one of the most famous cars in America, owned by the rich and famous, among them Clark Gable and the Duke of Windsor. Duesenberg advertising claimed that it was the best car in the world. Duesenberg ceased production in 1937 after Cord's financial empire collapsed. Of 481 Model Js and SJs had been produced between 1928 and 1937, 384 are still extant, 4 of them now owned by Jay Leno.

Related Topics:
Clark Gable - Duke of Windsor - Jay Leno

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