1934 Duesenberg Model J Town Car

Stately Coachwork on a High-Performance Chassis
The Duesenberg brothers, Fred and August, founded Duesenberg Automobiles & Motors Company in 1913. The performance of the Duesenberg-powered cars was impressive; Duesenberg racers won the Indianapolis 500 in 1924, 1925, and 1927. And, in 1921, American driver Jimmy Murphy won the French Grand Prix at LeMans in a Duesenberg.

By 1934, the loss of Fred in a 1932 auto accident and the Depression had taken their toll on the legendary Duesenberg. That year, Duesenberg made the difficult decision to quit motorsports. The last Duesenberg to run the Indy 500, prepared by Augie and driven by Joe Russo, finished fifth in the 1934 race.

Rollston, the New York City coachbuilder that provided the handsome town car body for this Duesenberg, reportedly supplied 57 bodies for the Model J chassis (five of these were replacement bodies). Fifteen Rollston Duesenbergs were town cars, each one finished to individual order. The last Duesenberg to be completed, in 1940, had a body built by Rollson, a spin-off of the by-then-defunct original Rollston operation.

With a body by Rollston, this Model J Town Car combines the stately style of a classic body style with the racing-inspired performance of the legendary Duesenberg chassis. It has skirted fenders and 17-inch wheels typical of the mid-1930s trend toward a more streamlined look. Rollston's design used the length of the chassis to make a perfectly proportioned automobile on both the outside and inside, which features inlaid wood panels.

Once the property of a Chicago 'businessman,' this Duesenberg J led a rather exciting early life before it was sold in 1942 to its next owner, and in 1959 to the current caretaker's family. One can imagine the various 'business meetings' that the car attended during its time in Chicago. It has been cared for by its current owner since 1959 and has been thoughtfully preserved ever since.

A regular attendee at the many Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg events over the years, it has won many awards. The New York City coachbuilder Rollston that supplied this Town Car body was acknowledged as building some of the strongest bodywork of the classic era and used only the best materials and castings. Rollston built 57 bodies for the magnificent Duesenberg Model J and JN, including 15 Town Cars.