DuesenBlog: Duesenberg News - 2009-2

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(July 2009) RM has announced that J527/2406 will go on the block (Lot 533) on Aug 15, 2009 at their Sports and Classics auction in Monterey. Estimates of the auction price range from $1.3 to $1.6 million.

This supercharged SWB chassis carries Murphy Disappearing Top coachwork. J527 originally was shipped with LWB chassis 2556 and Rollston Convertible Coupe coachwork. When the owner traded the car on J550/2576, the coachwork was moved the new chassis. The Franklin Mint produced a model of J550/2576 with the Rollston coachwork, and I have a copy in my Collection.

J527/2556 (now with J550's original Convertible Victoria bodywork) was later stolen and damaged while owned by Randolf Hearst. In the late 1930's J527 was purchased by Mr Mitchell, the owner of J401/2406 with the Murphy coachwork. Mitchell moved J527 to its present bodywork and chassis. (More on J401 here)

This information comes from the RM announcment and is substantiated by the Duesenberg Registry (Ref 1) entries for J401, J527, and J550.

(July 2009) Two Duesenbergs recently mentioned in this blog seem to have found a home in Dick Burdick's new museum "Dick's Classic Garage" in San Marcos, Texas. One is J365, that sold at the April 2009 Branson Auction. The paint color is exquisite in the photos I've seen. Another Duesenberg in the collection is J118. The Blackhawk Collection offered this auto for sale in conjunction with the 2008 Pebble Beach gathering. See that DuesenBlog entry for more info on J118.

I need to schedule a trip to the Austin area! There is at least one more Duesenberg in Burdick's collection in addition to these two!

(July 2009) Gooding will be offering J572/2596 at their Pebble Beach Auction, Aug 15-16, 2009. Although the motor had been replaced by J509 (Ref 1), I presume that the bell housing still says J-572. The SWB chassis carries Bohman & Schwartz Convertible Coupe coachwork. First purchased by Prince Divani, this auto has been most recently shown by the Manns of NJ and was seen cavorting with several other Duesenbergs last October (2008).

(June 2009) J576/2603 is scheduled to appear at the Father's Day Car Show at the Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens near Akron, OH. It is a long wheelbase Rollston Towncar.

According to the Duesenberg Registry (Ref 1) this car has never been restored and was last seen in Scottsdale in 2006. It was first purchased by Paul Mayo of Colorado, U.S. Ambassador to Belgium.

(June 2009) Bonhams & Butterfields has announced that consignments are invited for their Quail auction on August 14, 2009. J384/2535 is among the cars already consigned. This 1933 Buehrig-designed, short wheelbase Rollston Convertible Victoria was first purchased by ET Foley of St. Paul, MN. It was later acquired by William Boyd. Boyd is famous as the TV and cinema cowboy of my youth, "Hopalong Cassidy." It will be offered with no reserve.

Christie's sold this car in 1994 for $365,500, but they indicate that the original engine (J384) had been swapped for J361. Following the sale, RM restorations returned the original engine to the chassis as part of a restoration back to its original condition (Ref 2).

Another "cowboy car" will also be auctioned, Tom Mix's Cord!

(July 2009) UPDATE Bonham's pre-auction estimates for J384 are $1.2-$1.6 million!

REFERENCES: (1) The Duesenberg Registry. Downloaded 2009-07-13 from AutomotiveHistoryOnline.com. (2) Bonham and Butterfield's Quail catalog, Lot 223. Downloaded 2009-07-27 from Bonhams.com.

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