1934 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Convertible Coupe

J-461 was originally purchased by Siegfried Roebling, the grandson of John Roebling of Brooklyn Bridge fame. The car that Mr. Roebling received in 1931 was a LeGrande Sweep-Panel Dual Cowl Phaeton. A short time later, Mr. Roebling was involved in an accident that damaged the body. The car was returned to the factory, where they fitted a new body, per Mr. Roebling's request, to the car. The Murphy Convertible Coupe body was sourced, either from a local dealer or directly from California, and fitted to the standard-length chassis. The body features a rear-mounted spare in lieu of the side mounts featured on all other bodies. This feature required a special rear bumper that gave the car a unique appearance and character. The honeycomb grille from the LeGrande body was retained and used on the Murphy, along with the twin driving lights.

The work was completed in 1934. Early in its life, it was given a two-tone paint scheme, with the lower half painted in a light color and the upper portions finished in a darker color. Duesenberg re-titled J-461 as a 1934 and treated it as though it was an entirely new product.

When Mr. Roebling passed away in 1936, the car remained on the East Coast, eventually coming into the care of Richard Harris of New Heaven, Connecticut, who purchased it in the early 1940s. A short time later, the car was purchased by Jim Hadley of Washington, D.C. Around that time, the car was given a later-style radiator, and the two-tone livery was changed to a single dark color.

In the 1950s, the care was in the care of James G. Groendyk of Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, and even appeared in a Quaker State Advertisement. From there, the car was sold to an owner in Florida before making its way back to the Northeast in 1970 when it was acquired by M.H. Gould of Pennsylvania. Later in the year, the car was sold to Richard Boeshore, also of Pennsylvania.

In the mid-1970s, the car was shown at Hershey where it received an AACA award. Eventually, the car was sold to Chicago resident William Buddig. Mr. Buddig began a complete and show-quality restoration, which was completed in 1985. The car was finished in black and put onto the concours circuit. At the ACD reunion in 1986, J-461 was awarded Best Score, the ACD Fred Duesenberg Award, and Best of Show. In 1986, the car was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it earned a First in Class. It earned Best of Show honors at the Tucson Concours in 1986. The following year, it was put on display at the Gilmore Duesenberg Show in Hickory Corners, Michigan. Out of the 125 Duesenbergs on display, the car was selected as the Best Model J Duesenberg. Later in the year, the car was shown at the Meadow Brook Concours D'Elegance where it was awarded a First Place award. It has earned a 100-point judgment by the CCCA and has since earned Junior, Senior and Premier awards. In 1989, it won Best of Show honors at the Chicago International Concours.

After Mr. Buddig passed away in the 1990s, the car was sold by his family to Jerry J. Moore. After nearly a decade, the car was sold to the present owner.

In 2010, this Duesenberg was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company Auction held in Scottsdale, Arizona. As bidding came to a close, the lot had been sold for the sum of $1,815,000, inclusive of the buyer's reserve.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2012