1933 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Coupe

The Walter M. Murphy Company constructed bodies for many expensive automobiles, including Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, and Packard. They are most famous for their work on the Model J Duesenberg - a chassis for which the company built at least 125 bodies. they built a wide array of styles for the Duesenberg, from formal town cars to clear-vision sedans. Perhaps their most popular and most recognized body style was the convertible coupe, which accounted for approximately one-third of Murphy-bodied Duesenbergs. By the early 1930s, Murphy had begun constructing these bodies 'in the white' so that customers seeking the convertible coupe would not have to wait to receive coachwork for their new Duesenbergs.

In the early 1920s, General Manager George R. Fredricks and Designer Charles Gerry developed an articulation that retracted a convertible top completely into a well behind the seats. This allowed it to be discreetly covered by a metal canopy when not in use. It also gave the bodywork a seamless, speedster-style profile and a modern appearance. Bodies that employed this system were known as Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupes.

The chassis for J-429 was completed on December 30th of 1930 and began testing at the Duesenberg factory in Indiana. It was sold to its first owner as a bare chassis. It was delivered to the Walter M. Murphy Company where it received the Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe bodystyle bearing body number 913. It is believed that this was among the last Model Js bodied by Murphy before the coachbuilder closed its doors in 1932.

The pre-war history of J-429 is not known. By the late 1940s, it had passed into the care of a Hartford, Connecticut attorney. At this point in history, the car was finished in maroon and outfitted with external SJ-type exhaust pipes, Lyon metal tire covers, twin horns, and factory headlamps.

The car was sold in May of 1948 through car dealer Russell G. Sceli to David S. Bloom, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr. Bloom did not own the car for very long, selling it in June of 1949 to Charles Allen, a resident of both Pennsylvania and California. Mr. Allen installed sweep-hand instruments. After discovering an issue with the clutch or transmission, Mr. Allen decided to store the car in Pennsylvania. It remained in storage until July of 1961 when Los Angeles car collector Bob Estes paid $5,500 for it. When Estes passed away in 2001, the car was purchased by John Groendyke of Enid, Oklahoma. It was soon sold to Dave Kane of Bernardsville, New Jersey. In 2003, J-429 was purchased by the current caretaker. Since then, the car has been given a complete restoration. It is finished in light green coachwork with brown leather upholstery and whitewall tires. Since the work has been completed, the car has not been shown or judged at any major concours events.

In 2013, the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company Auction held in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was estimated to sell for $2,000,000 - $2,400,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $2,695,000 inclusive of the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2013