1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Dual Cowl Phaeton

The Walter M. Murphy Company, a Pasadena, California, coachbuilder, was highly regarded for its clean, stylish designs, particularly on the Duesenberg chassis.

This car is one of three Model Js fitted with this unique version of a Dual Cowl Phaeton, featuring an innovative two-piece 'butterfly' rear cowl and windshield that articulate out of the passengers' way. It was originally restored by early enthusiast Dick Bell of Pennsylvania and exhibited for many years in that state's Swigart Museum. The late Paul Andrews eventually purchased the car from the Swigart collection and commissioned a complete restoration by Steve Babinsky. The current owners acquired it from the Andrews estate, returning it to the area where its coachwork was built.

This car has had single-family ownership for nearly half a century. The car carries both AACA and CCCA National First Place badges, dating back to the fifties or sixties. Accessories on the car include dual side-mounted spares, six chrome wire wheels, a pair of Guide driving lights and a lovely veneered and varnished rear-mounted trunk with a canvas cover.

Murphy built just three original 'butterfly' dual cowl phaetons on the short-wheelbase chassis. Other coachbuilders offered the dual cowl phaeton style, but none offered one with the panache of the Murphy design. The car features Murphy's trademark thin pillars and gracefully curved body sides and the design of the tonneau is ingenious. Both the windshield and tonneau are split and hinged at the center, allowing either side to fold and lift independently, easing entry and exit. Equally important, the split windshield design allowed Murphy to rake back the outer edges, forming a graceful V. It was a simple idea, but a masterpiece of design, making Murphy's dual cowl phaeton both unique and beautiful.

The Murphy Dual Cowls are rarely seen as their great beauty and rarity have made them among the most highly prized automobiles.

One of the car's owners was Tommy Manville who was 36 years old at the time. Manville was the heir to the Johns Manville asbestos fortune and lived a life of fortune and luxury. He is also in the Guinness Book of World Records for having married 13 times. Part of the reason for so many marriages was a loophole in his trust which stated he was entitled to a lump sum of one million dollars when he married. There were no limitations set on the number of marriages. In the public's eye, this only cultivated his image as a playboy.

This vehicle is chassis number 2169 and carries engine number J403. J403 was originally fitted in chassis 2425 which had a Derham Tourster body and was destined for delivery to Gary Cooper. There was a problem with the engine and it was sent back to the factory and replaced with J431.

After repairs, J403 was placed in chassis 2169 which had a Murphy convertible coupe body. The car had several owners during its early years. The first owner was Miss Gale who took possession on September 12th of 1931. It was purchased by a Pennsylvania resident in 1938 and from there, passed through several more owners in the next two decades. In September of 1951, it was purchased by Dr. J.E. Manning in Saginaw, MI who treated the car to a three-year restoration. Later in the 1950s, it was in the ownership of Richard Bell of Mohnton, PA who sent the car to the Wendling Brothers, a shop formed by former Fleetwood workers, and was given a Murphy Dual Cowl Phaeton body. The extra body was given to the Weldings in payment for their work.

In 1958 Bell sold the car to the Swigart Collection where it would remain for the next 49 years.

Tommy Manville was an owner of the Swigart Murphy Dual Cowl Phaeton. He retained the car for about three years before trading it back to Duesenberg in 1935. The car went through several owners before coming into the procession of **** Bell.

Even though the restoration was done over fifty years ago, the car still shows well in modern times. There are minor chips and cracks and the paint has lost some of its luster, but considering its 50-year-old age, it is in excellent condition. The engine bay is clean and fitted with the correct components. It has the correct updraft Schebler carburetor and the 'sewer pipe' exhaust. A few of the parts are modern and incorrect.

It has been awarded both an AACA and CCCA National First Place award badges which may have been earned during the 1950s or possibly the 1960s. Its list of accessories includes six chrome wire wheels, dual side-mounted spares, two Guide driving lights, and a rear-mounted trunk with a canvas cover.

This 1929 Duesenberg Model J Dual Cowl Phaeton was brought to the Vintage Motor Cars sale at Hershey, PA presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $1,200,000 - $1,600,000 and was offered without reserve. The lot was sold for a high bid of $1,650,000 including the buyer's premium.

It is one of just three original-built Murphy-bodied dual cowl phaetons. The other two were J175/2196 and J347/2366. Other coachbuilders offered the DC Phaeton body style but none featured the trademark Murphy styling including the thin pillars and curved body sides. The tonneau is even a marvel, with both the windshield and tonneau split and hinged along the center which allowed either side to fold and lift independently. This improved the entry and exiting of the car.

The list of DC Phaetons produced includes 25 by LeBaron, 13 by LaGrande, 11 by Derham, and 3 by Murphy. The sale of this Murphy DC Phaeton represented an opportunity not offered in nearly 50 years as the car had been in the same family that entire time.

The car was acquired from the Helen Swigart estate by Paul Andrews, who shortly submitted the car to Steve Babinsky's Automotive Restorations of Lebanon, New Jersey, to be returned to its original classic elegance. Upon completion, the car was shown at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it won 2nd in Class, followed by Best in Class honors at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance the following year. It went on to achieve a Senior First Prize with 99.5 points at the CCCA Annual Meeting in Dallas in 2012. It has also completed no fewer than three of the annual Duesenberg Tours, the 2011 Colorado Grand through the Rocky Mountains, and, that same year, the Pebble Beach Motoring Classic between Seattle and Monterey, together accumulating about 5,500 very reliable miles.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2007