DuesenBlog: Duesenberg News - 2010-2

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(May 2010) RM has announced that several Duesenbergs are heading towards the auction block in the upcoming months, but little identification of J-number/chassis number has been given.

A black 1929 Murphy Convertible Sedan (UPDATE: It is J262 6/1/10) is to appear at the Vintage Cars of Meadowbrook on July 24, 2010. It will be joined by a Rollston bodied 1932 Torpedo Berline. The Rollston looks to be the "Formal Sedan" (J546/2574) auctioned at the Kruse Auction at Hershey in 2007. The winning bidder was John O'Quinn! (UPDATE: J546 confirmed, 6/1/10)

(July 2010)UPDATE:  RM will stream the auction live on July 24, 2010 starting at 11 AM EST.

At RM's Aug 13-14, 2010 Monterey auction, two Duesenbergs are listed; a red 1931  Model J Murphy Convertible Sedan (UPDATE: J420/2363 6/1/10); and a black 1933 supercharged Brunn Riviera Phaeton, J528/2551.

RM only gives the phaeton's chassis serial as 2551. However, RM sold this automobile at the 2005 Amelia Island auction for $1.32 Million. In their 2005 description, RM states that, in the early 1950's restoration of J528, the frame was replaced with frame number 2577 (from J551) but that the original firewall (2551) was retained.

(June 2010) UPDATE: The ACD Club Newsletter (ref 5) shows a picture of J528 when it was in the custody of John Troika. It looks like it has truck-like "running lights" above the external exhaust pipes!

Are all four of these automobiles part of the O'Quinn Collection being parceled out slowly?

(April 2010) On Easter weekend I read in a Hemmings blog that a Duesenberg (J255/2276) would be on display at the 2010 NY International Auto Show. Easter Monday I took the train to NYC, camera in hand. Alas, after wandering around looking for it, I asked at the information desk and found that the LeMay Museum exhibit had closed the day before! Sigh!

There will be another chance to see this automobile, however. It will be auctioned at the Bonhams Sale of Exceptional Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia on June 6, 2010, in conjunction with the Greenwich, CT Concours. A 1971 OTAS Coupe will also cross the auction block June 6. I once owned a 1972 OTAS.

J255/2276 was originally fitted with 7 passenger limousine coachwork by Judkins (Ref 2, Ref 3). It soon became part of the stable of Pacific Auto Rentals and appeared in several movies until 1985, when it was sold. The new owner commissioned Fran Roxas to fabricate new coachwork - a Torpedo Phaeton body in the style of Weymann. It passed through the Imperial Palace and the Blackhawk collections before being sold for $500,500 at RM's Meadowbrook auction in 2004.

The Judkins coachwork still exists, and as of 2008, was part of the O'Quinn Collection (Ref 4). It should resurface soon!

(April 2010) A surprise Duesenberg appeared at the recent Atlantic City Borgata Auction.  Lot 6120, J364 wearing Gordon Buehrig  designed Boat-Tail Speedster coachwork, was a no sale at $725,000 on Feb 26, 2010. It appeared at the Kruse Auburn Auction in 2005, where it brought a bid of $1,000,000, but also did not sell.

J364 originally wore Rollston Convertible Victoria coachwork, but was in an accident in 1936, and the body was destroyed. It was re-bodied, probably before 1940, with its present Buehrig speedster body, perhaps manufactured by Murphy (ref 1).

Adler (ref 2, page 227) has a nice picture of this Speedster and identifies it as J364. Both Adler and Elbert (ref 3) show J364 as originally mounted on LWB chassis 2379. However, the Borgata Auction info states:

BOTH THE ENGINE (J-364) AND THE FRAME (2327) WITH RUBBINGS OF THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN AUTHENTICATED...

and that

IT RETAINS ITS ORIGINAL CHASSIS (2327).