1935 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Coupe

Duesenberg began building racing cars in 1913. They were very successful running at the Indy 500 and multiple Championship races in their teens and twenties. The first passenger Duesenberg produced was the Model A. It featured a Straight 8 engine with a gear-driven single overhead cam, 3-speed transmission, and Duesenberg patented 4-wheel hydraulic brakes. The chassis and engine had been designed by Fred Duesenberg under the direction of E.L. Cord, the new owner of the company, who wanted to produce the fastest, most luxurious, and most prestigious motorcars in America.

The Duesenberg Model J is one of the most powerful and luxurious cars in the world. Starting in 1926, brothers Fred and Augie Duesenberg sought to produce automobiles that would rival the top European brands like Hispano-Suiza, Isotta Fraschini, and Rolls Royce.

The Model J, launched in 1928, was based on a straight-eight engine that produced 265 horsepower. It features a dual overhead camshaft and four valves per cylinder. The top speed was close to 120 miles per hour. This was indeed the most expensive and fastest American automobile on the market.

The Rollston Company was formed in 1921. The bodies were acknowledged as the strongest of the Classic Era, and they built 57 bodies for the Duesenberg Model J.

Once an owner selected the car, he could choose from a number of different bodybuilders. The chassis alone cost around $8,500. Various bodybuilders were available to choose from including Derham, Judkins, LeBaron, Murphy, Walker, and others, including Rollston. Carriage making was an art and many companies were transitioning from carriage making to automotive body building.

This one-off Rollston convertible coupe was originally owned by Isabel T. Pell of New York City who had purchased a supercharged car, SJ-527 with this body on it in 1934. In February of 1935, she traded in the supercharged car and had the body mounted on this chassis 2576 engine J-550.

In 1939 she took the car to France. The car was later sold to a French owner who shipped the car to Havana, Cuba in 1947. He died a few days after the car arrived in Havana and the car sat on the dock unclaimed until 1950 when it was purchased by Lillian Ramirez. It was later purchased by Al Thurn of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The current owner purchased the car from Al Thurn in 1967.