Vehicle Description
To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at Auctions America's Auburn Fall event,
August 31-3, 2017.
Chassis No.
J510
Estimate:
$2,500,000 - $3,000,000 US
Coachwork by LaGrande
Chassis no. 2540
Firewall no. 2540
Engine no. J-510
Body no. 1008
Eleven LaGrande "sweep panel" phaetons were produced for the
long-wheelbase Duesenberg Model J chassis. Of these, just three
were supercharged SJ models, and only one of these, no. J-510,
offered here, boasted unique styling features, most prominently the
lack of a full second cowl; instead, a folding windshield was
fitted, that collapsed behind the front seat when not in use. The
result, along with the potent supercharged engine and its signature
side exhaust, produced a true four-passenger American sports
car.
The car was delivered on 22 August 1933, to original owner Bernard
E. "Ben" Smith, a floor trader with W.E. Hutton & Company in New
York City. Smith was a pioneer "short seller" on Wall Street who
made a fortune by continuously betting against the collapsing U.S.
economy through 1932, including $10 million in 1930 alone. Quiet
and secretive, he was reportedly mixed up in Duesenberg Motors
owner E.L. Cord's business deals of the time. The Duesenberg was
maintained for its first decade at the Smith family home,
Nestledown Farm, in Bedford Village, New York.
In the early 1940s, Smith and his son, Ben Jr., partnered with
promoter Bruno Paglie to develop the Hipodromo de las Americas, a
major horseracing facility near Mexico City. Ben Jr. and his new
wife drove the Duesenberg to Mexico in 1946. Paglie bought the
Hipodromo outright soon thereafter, and the SJ was apparently
included as part of the sale. By this time, it was missing its
original supercharger. The original supercharger had proved a bit
unreliable and was removed by the Duesenberg factory branch in New
York City for the Smiths. This was not an unusual modification in
the 1940s.
Paglie owned the car for a few years before selling it in the early
1950s to Valentin G. Melgarejo, a used car dealer in Mexico City,
who continued to drive the Duesenberg for a number of years while
also using it as an advertising draw for his dealership. The
Duesenberg was becoming desirable in collectible automobile
circles, and various early enthusiasts were familiar with the
"Mexico City SJ," including pioneering Duesenberg historian Ray
Wolff, who viewed it in 1957, 1960, and 1962. Several collectors
made offers for the car, but Melgarejo always rejected them.
In 1968, Dr. William Wetta, one of the American enthusiasts
familiar with the car, heard that it was for sale, and within a
year had successfully purchased the automobile that had eluded many
others. After being trailered back to Dr. Wetta's home state of
Alabama, the Duesenberg was repaired and tuned by local restorer
Pierre Fontana.
In 1974 the phaeton was sold to another Southern enthusiast, who
had it restored, including a full rebuild of the engine and paint
in Damask Maroon and Texas Sand. The completed Duesenberg scored
99.75 points at the Allstate meet in Chicago in 1977, followed by
98.75 points and a National First Prize at the Indiana Grand
Classic in Indianapolis. Soon thereafter the car was sold to Gene
Storms of Newport Beach, California, who in 1979 had a precise,
correct reproduction supercharger mounted, returning the engine to
its correct SJ configuration.
Renowned Southern California enthusiast and collector, General
William Lyon, purchased the car in April 1983, adding it to his
significant stable of Duesenbergs. There the car would remain for
the next 25 years, only occasionally shown but always well
maintained, before joining its current owner's notable private
collection.
Still well presented and attractive down to the last detail, the
"Mexico City SJ" ranks among the most significant and sporting
Duesenbergs to be offered in recent years. A true American
performance powerhouse, it is in the first rank of Full Classics.
