The car is a disappearing-top convertible coupe bodied by the Walter M. Murphy Co., the Pasadena coachbuilder whose work is still regarded as among the most graceful ever fitted to a Duesenberg chassis. It is believed to be one of the last Model Js Murphy completed before the firm shut down in 1932. It carries chassis no. 2446, engine no. J-429 and body no. 913, and retains its original chassis, engine and bodywork — a combination that has become increasingly rare among surviving cars of the period.
Finished in green over a black interior, the car is powered by Duesenberg’s 420-cubic-inch dual-overhead-cam inline eight, rated at 265 hp and fed by a single dual-throat updraft carburetor. Power runs through a three-speed manual transmission. The chassis uses a live rear axle, semi-elliptical leaf springs and double-acting hydraulic-level shock absorbers, with four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes and wire-spoke wheels. External SJ-type exhaust pipes exit the hood.
Its ownership history is unusually well documented. Bob Estes, the racer, team owner and a founding figure in USAC, kept the car for roughly four decades. It appeared at Pebble Beach five times between 1970 and 1985 and is pictured in Dennis Adler’s book “Duesenberg.” Under its current owner it underwent a comprehensive restoration with assistance from Tim Purrier, who owns Straight Eight in Troy, Michigan.
Few American automobiles have inspired as much written attention as the Model J, and those who have driven one tend to reach the same conclusion — that nothing built in this country at the time came close. Its blend of engineering sophistication, output, refinement and road manners outclassed the best of both American and European manufacture, and its 265 hp naturally aspirated engine left rivals well behind.
Duesenberg unveiled the Model J on Dec. 1, 1928, the opening day of the New York Auto Salon, catching the public off guard. The bare chassis started at $8,500, with coachwork adding anywhere from $3,500 to nearly $10,000 on top. The first car was sold in 1929, and most Model J and SJ production took place between then and 1933.
Bid Here
