1925 Duesenberg Eight Speedway Roadster Roadster

- This car was built by the Duesenberg brothers for the 1925 Indy 500 Race.
- It became a two-time Indy winner - 1925 and 1927.
- It featured an aluminum straight 8, 225 horsepower, 122 cubic-inch DOHC and was supercharged.
- It was the first car to run a supercharger successfully.
- It also ran at many of the dirt and board tracks across the country.

Duesenberg introduced its eight-cylinder racing engine at Indianapolis in 1919. Over the years, and with each race, changes and modifications were made, transforming the powerplant into a very capable and durable engine. The design made it compliant with the mandated displacement cuts of 1920 and 1923.

For 1923, the Duesenberg engine displaced 122 cubic inches and incorporated a gear-driven, dual-overhead-camshaft head with four valves per cylinder and pent-roof combustion chambers. In 1924, it was given a simpler two-valve hemispherical combustion chamber setup. A supercharger was later fitted, increasing the horsepower even further.

At the 1924 Indianapolis race, Joe Boyer drove a supercharged Duesenberg to a first place finish. Boyer had taken over the driving duties from L.L. Corum on Lap 109. Peter De Paolo finished in sixth place driving the only non-supercharged car of the four on the team. The other two cars retired prematurely from the race.

De Paolo was given a supercharged car for the 1925 season. It was a bright yellow Duesenberg that was driven to a convincing victory at the 500. During the process, he set a new average speed record at 101.13 mph, which would persist for seven years.

This Duesenberg Eight Speedway Roadster was once part of the late Dave Uihlein collection. It is powered by what is believed to be the only known surviving three-liter Duesenberg engine and several other period components. The car is a remarkable recreation of Peter De Paolo's 'Banana Wagon,' so-named because he 'won so many bananas with it.'

The engine is a 121.3 cubic-inch DOHC eight-cylinder unit with a supercharger that produces 225 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual gearbox and hydraulic rear-wheel-only drum brakes.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Amelia Island sale presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $200,000 - $275,000. As bidding came to a close, the car was sold for the sum of $352,000 including the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2011