To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Amelia Island event, 8 - 9
March 2019.
Estimate:
$1,600,000 - $2,000,000
- The most iconic Duesenberg body style
- The one and only long-wheelbase 'Sweep Panel' Dual-Cowl Phaeton
built
- Outstanding provenance, with 70 years of known history
- Comprehensive restoration by Fran Roxas, one of his last
- Not shown since and ready for international concours
presentation
- ACD Club Certified Category One (D-132)
Today, the Duesenberg Model J, affectionately nicknamed the
"Duesy," continues to represent anything truly great or grand. It
was bankrolled by E.L. Cord and designed from the outset to be the
world's finest car. When the Model J debuted at the New York Auto
Salon on 1 December 1928, its launch dominated newspaper
headlines.
The Model J's visually impressive 420-cu. in., dual overhead-cam,
inline eight-cylinder engine featured a free-breathing, four-valve
cylinder head, and it could develop 265 bhp in normally aspirated
form. Other remarkable features found on the Model J included a
fully automatic chassis-lubricating system that operated every 30
to 60 miles, excellent two-shoe hydraulic drum brakes, and complete
instrumentation, which included a 150-mph speedometer, a
tachometer, an altimeter, an eight-day clock with a split-second
stopwatch hand, and more.
From introduction to the present, the Model J marks the crowning
achievement of the Classic Era.
J-487: A ONE-OF-A-KIND DUESENBERG
Interestingly, of the mere 18 examples ever produced of the 'Sweep
Panel' Dual-Cowl Phaeton, the car offered here is the one and only
example on the long 153�-in. wheelbase chassis, no. 2336. The
lengthening of the sweep panel body gave most of the new space to
the rear seat passengers, filling in the space between the doors
with a new panel of metal that featured a small contrast-color
fillet. The effect was one of impressive size and power, creating
the ideal luxury motor car.
The original owner of chassis no. 2336 was J. Clarke Dean, a broker
at Dean, Onatavia & Company of Chicago. Mr. Dean was a very
prominent figure in Windy City business, dealing in stocks, bonds,
and commodities, such as grain and cotton, as well as enjoying
membership in Chicago's most prominent sporting clubs.
Interestingly, the records of long-time Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club
Duesenberg historian Raymond Wolff note that the prosperous Mr.
Dean paid cash for his new Model J, and he was surely one of only a
few men capable of doing so.
In 1938, Dean sold his Duesenberg through the Felz Cadillac
Company, a renowned dealership in Chicago. Reportedly, the sale was
to another Chicagoan, but by 1948, the car had made its way to
Grand Rapids, Michigan, and was sold that year to a Grand Rapids
local, George Williams. By this time, the car had engine J-487,
which is believed to have been a factory branch-installed
replacement from its Chicago days.
Following brief ownership by several other Midwestern enthusiasts,
the Duesenberg was purchased in 1951 by Raydon R. "Don" Thompson
and his business partner Jack Irwin, of Huntington, West Virginia.
Working with local mechanic Bob Roller, Mr. Thompson restored the
Phaeton's rolling chassis and engine, with a replacement engine
block, after which the car passed to a new owner in Maryland.
The prized Model J was eventually sold to legendary Model J
connoisseur Tony Pascucci, of Meriden, Connecticut, in 1964. The
car remained with Mr. Pascucci for two decades before being sold to
the Imperial Palace Auto Collections of Las Vegas. With the
exception of a brief sojourn in the hands of Bill Lassiter, it
would remain with the Imperial Palace for a decade and then
eventually make its way into the ownership of another well-known
enthusiast, Dale Fowler.
While having been restored in earlier ownership, the Duesenberg has
since been subject to a comprehensive concours-quality restoration
by the preeminent restorer of American Classics, Fran Roxas. Roxas,
known for his exceptional work and attention to detail, as well as
having restored more Duesenbergs than most anyone, recently retired
from his craft, making this project one of his final complete
restorations. The Duesenberg, fully restored from the ground up,
was finished in the stunning rich black and caf� au lait
combination, highlighted by a subtle red pinstripe that delineates
the iconic sweep panel, providing a handsome match to the tan cloth
top and sumptuous leather interior, with its distinctive
engine-turned dashboard.
This impressively finished Duesenberg is spectacular in its elegant
proportions, and it holds an important place of pride in even the
rarefied rosters of surviving 'Sweep Panel' Phaetons. Along with
being the one and only long-wheelbase ever made, and with having
numerous unique design features and its own special character, it
bears decades of known history, which includes some of the greatest
names in modern collecting. It is, simply put, an exceptional
example of the marque, and one with a known and continuous history
from new, which has always been well maintained and cared for
throughout its life, as evidenced by its ACD Club Category One
Certification.
As the only long-wheelbase 'Sweep Panel' Dual-Cowl Phaeton ever
built, chassis no. 2336 will forever remain one of the most
interesting and unique Duesenberg Model Js.To view this car and
others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM
website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/am19.