1930 Duesenberg Model J Dual Cowl 'Barrelside' Phaeton

The Duesenberg Model J was introduced in December 1928 at the New York International Auto Show. Priced at an astronomical $8,500 for the bare running chassis, it had nearly twice as much power as its next most powerful competitor. The well-engineered DOHC straight-eight engine displaced 420 cubic inches, had a single Schebler Updraft carburetor, and produced 265 horsepower at 4,200 RPM. With completed cars reaching $15,000, the Model J was exclusive, obtainable by only the most wealthy and influential people of the era.

The Model J was equally adaptable to both open and closed coachwork, and was more than capable of carrying the heaviest and most elaborate coachwork. Among the numerous coachbuilders who clothed the Model J, LeBaron was one of the most memorable and celebrated. Among their most famous and desirable designs were the open four-door phaetons, offered in two distinct styles - the 'Sweep Panel' and 'Barrelside' (in today's nomenclature).

LeBaron's stylist stylists Hugo Pfau and Roland Stickney are credited with penning the 'Barrelside' Phaeton, of which just seven bodies would be created, less than half that of the 'Sweep Panel' Phaeton. Design cues of the 'Barrelside' include a folding windscreen, distinctive side moldings, and a sculpted cowl. The unique curvature throughout the bodywork was perhaps the source of its nickname, the 'Barrelside.'

This 1930 Duesenberg Model J Dual Cowl 'Barrelside' Phaeton with coachwork by LeBaron is the sole example built on the long-wheelbase chassis. Reportedly priced at $18,000 when new, this LeBaron-bodied Phaeton was originally finished in a two-tone beige and brown paint scheme.

William Keane Ryan Jr., the car's original owner, took delivery on April 22, 1930. It was delivered to him in Paris, with shipping papers addressed in care of Munroe & Company, an American bank operating in France, with headquarters located at 4 Rue Ventadour. Aged 28 years old at the time, he was joined by his younger brother, Thomas Fortune Ryan III, on a trip around Europe in the Duesenberg. Returning to New York about a year later, the car was sold, and in 1931, Manhattan-based car dealer Schoonmaker & Jacod sold J-318 to Harry R. Nelson of Branchville, New Jersey. Mr. Nelson reportedly paid $7,500 for the Model J.

Mr. Nelson sold the Duesenberg to Harold Bertrand of Auburn, New York, in 1947 and remained in his care until 1949, when it was sold to Harold Landgraf of Austin, Minnesota. In 1954, J-318 was sold for $2,000 to Herbert and Bob Horn of Sarasota, Florida. When the brothers sold their museum to Walter Bellm of St. Louis in 1967, the Model J was part of the sale. It would remain a fixture in the museum, now called Bellm Cars & Music of Yesterday, until 1979, when it was purchased by the current Ohio-based caretaker.

An extensive restoration was rewarded with a stream of awards throughout the early 1980s, including AACA Junior and Senior National First Prizes, a perfect 100-point score at a 1982 CCCA Grand Classic, and the Mayor's Award at the ACD Annual Meet.

This Duesenberg currently wears a two-tone gray color scheme with orange highlights and brown leather upholstery. It retains its original engine supplied by Duesenberg in 1930, with J-318 stamped on the crankshaft and bellhousing.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2023