1933 Duesenberg Model J Berline

Duesenberg Model J chassis number 2385 wore two bodies by renowned Parisian coachbuilder Franay in-period; the first was a Town Car, shown here at the 1931 and 1932 Paris Salons. When this conservatively styled automobile failed to find a buyer, Franay re-bodied the chassis as this remarkable Berline, with its beautifully curved roofline, long-skirted fenders, sliding sunroof, and extraordinary detailing. It is one of very few surviving Duesenbergs with coachwork built outside of the United States and the only surviving Franay body on the Model J chassis.

The car was originally delivered to Countess Porceri, the former Mabel Boll, a former cigar girl whose vivacious beauty won her several socialite husbands. Once a candidate for the first woman to cross the Atlantic by airplane, she was renowned for her extravagant lifestyle, including a vast collection of gems, many of which she wore on a regular basis. Reportedly she frequently could be found with $250,000 of jewels on her person. Today her Duesenberg is affectionately known as 'The Queen of Diamonds,' a nickname once bestowed upon the Countess herself.

Subsequently, the Duesenberg was part of the well-known Serge Pozzoli collection at Montlhery, France, and was then a feature for several years of the renowned Pat Ryan collection of sporting automobiles here in the United States.

This is among the most European of Duesenbergs, and inarguably one of the most beautiful closed bodies ever built on the Model J chassis.