1929 Duesenberg Model J Town Car

This Duesenberg Model J wears a Town Car body built by the Derham Body Company of Rosemont, Pennsylvania. It is one of two Town Cars (body style 2606) by Derham built on the 142.5-inch Model J chassis, and this example wears body number 2102. The 420 cubic-inch double overhead camshaft straight-8 engine has four valves per cylinder, hemispherical heads, and produces 265 horsepower and 374 lbs./ft of torque.

Once the Duesenberg was complete, the car was sold new to Harry and Virginia Robinson of Beverly Hills, California. It remained in Los Angeles as it passed through ownership of L. Lofsky and Richard Wohre before it was acquired by Lloyd G. McCrum of Hopedale, Massachusetts in 1962. In 1968, it was given a sympathetic restoration by Ted Billings with the process supervised by Jim Hoe.

Between 1993 and 2002, this Duesenberg (still owned by the McCrum family) was displayed at the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Maine. In 2002, it was acquired by Richard Roy of Branchville, New Jersey, and it continued to resided at Owls Head. In September 2008, it was acquired by its current caretaker. Cosmetic and mechanical work was performed in 2023 by restorers Salt City Specialties of Riverton, Utah, including the application of silver lacquer paint to the hood and front doors. The rear of the body and roof sections are finished in black, the chauffeur's compartment in done in black leather, and the passenger compartment in light mauve broadcloth/ There is a low-cut winscreen, a wind-up division window, a concealed chauffeur microphone, and Derham's blind-quarter window ensuring privacy for rear seat passengers.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2024