Vehicle Description
It's hard to fathom that the mighty Duesenberg Model J, the finest
American automobile ever, was designed and engineered by a German
immigrant who left school after the eighth grade. With natural
mechanical talent, by the time he was 17 in 1893, Friedrich S.
Duesenberg was fabricating replacement parts and repairing
windmills and farm machinery. An avid bicycle racer and shop owner,
within 10 years he was in the automobile business. Then, in 1913,
he and younger brother Augie-a gifted fabricator-started the
Duesenberg Motor Company to build racing cars. By the mid-teens,
the Duesenberg brothers' racing cars attracted top driving talent
and earned race wins-including at Indianapolis and the French Grand
Prix. In 1920 they started developing their Model A passenger car.
Introduced in 1921, the Model A was still in production when the
Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Co. entered receivership in early
1924. It struggled financially until 1926 when E.L. Cord of Auburn
acquired the company. To him, Fred Duesenberg was the most
important asset - neither racing, nor brother Augie, figured in the
plan for the reorganized Duesenberg Inc. With Fred Duesenberg as
Vice President in charge of engineering, one priority was to
assemble the 13 examples of the Model X that had been under
development before the acquisition. Next came the challenge of
designing, engineering, and building a car to meet E.L. Cord's
lofty goal of the world's finest luxury car. This was a change of
direction for Fred Duesenberg, who preferred, smaller, more nimble
cars such as the racers he and Augie had built. The heart of the
new Duesenberg Model J was a double-overhead camshaft
straight-eight displacing 420 cubic-inches. Equipped with four
valves per cylinder, the company claimed 265 horsepower, making it
the most powerful passenger car engine in America. With the engine
design handed off to Lycoming-another E.L. Cord company-for
production, Fred Duesenberg and his staff began designing and
sourcing the other components needed for the new car. The
masterpiece of an engine was initially mated to a four-speed manual
"crash" gearbox by Brown and Lipe but was soon replaced with a
stronger Warner Hy-flex three-speed unit to handle the mighty 335
ft lbs of torque. The entire assembly was mounted in a robust
ladder frame available in 142.5 and 153.5-inch lengths. The I-beam
front and hypoid rear axles were basically as specified for the
Model X, while the four-wheel, hydraulic drum braking system was
similar to that used on the Model A. The bold and powerful-looking
radiator grille and swept fenders came from the drawing board of
Auburn chief designer Alan Leamy. Bodies came from a variety of
prestigious custom coachbuilders including Derham, Murphy,
Willoughby, Rollston, and LeBaron, among others. Introduced in late
1928, when the economy was still healthy, few people were able to
spend between $10,000 and $20,000 ($172,500 and $345,000 today) on
a Model J. Less than a year later, the stock market crashed and the
pool of clients all but vanished. Prospective buyers needed very
deep pockets, as well as a very large garage. Both were true of the
Lehmann family of Lake Villa, Illinois. Like Fred and Augie
Duesenberg, Ernst J. Lehmann was born in Germany and immigrated to
the United States during the mid-1800s. He opened a jewelry store
in Chicago and as his business grew, he expanded, offering all
kinds of clothing and household goods, eventually occupying an
entire city block, calling the huge store "The Fair." Although
Lehmann died in 1900, his family continued to successfully operate
The Fair until 1925 when it was sold to S.S. Kresge, who built the
"dime store" empire that became K-Mart. According to once source,
E.J. Lehmann's son, Otto, was the buyer of this beautiful
LeBaron-bodied Model J Convertible Berline, 0chassis 2380 and
engine J-362. However, Duesenberg historian Randy Ema asserts that
Otto's sister Augusta (named after her mother) was the owner,
although Otto was later involved in its sale. However, it isn't
clear whether serial Model J trader John Troka actually bought
J-362 or just facilitated the sale to Dr. Leo Fry. Ema's records
show that in January 1942, a man named Komiechik acquired J-362,
although it was soon in the hands of machinist William Tollagsen.
In 1967, Jim DiBickero persuaded Tollagsen to sell him J-362, by
which time the handsome Convertible Berline was showing its age.
New owner DiBickero gave J-362 a comprehensive restoration and
retained it until approximately 1981 when it joined the 700-car
collection (including 30 Duesenbergs) of Houston developer Jerry J.
Moore. In the late-1990s the LeBaron Duesenberg found a new private
owner, who sent it to RM Auto Restoration in Blenheim, Ontario, for
a complete restoration. Michigan collector J. Peter Ministrelli
then bought the fresh Duesenberg, which became part of a large
collection maintained by Brian Joseph of Classic & Exotic Service
in nearby Troy. During Mr. Ministrelli's ownership, J-362 was
extensively shown in Classic Car Club of America competition, and
for four years it participated in the ACD Club National reunion.
The LeBaron Convertible Berline changed hands again when it became
part of the Paul Andrews collection in Texas. After just a few
years, it was sold by Gooding & Co. in 2010, spending the next 12
years in a private collection. Today, J-362 retains its original
coachwork, with engine, chassis, crankshaft, and firewall numbers
corresponding with production records. Resplendent in a rich maroon
accented by black fenders, it's hard to believe that it has been
more than 20 years since RM restored the car to original glory. The
chrome wire wheels, bumpers, and headlamps all sparkle, while the
beautiful woodwork and red leather interior have taken on a
pleasing character from use, while the polished cam covers, green
engine block, and porcelain manifolds all gleam as if new. A truly
lovely car, it will still acquit itself well on any show or tour,
and it will also look fantastic as part of any fine collection.
Offers welcome and trades considered For additional details please
view this listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7370-1930-duesenberg-model-j-convertible-berline/
