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1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy

In 1925, Errett Lobban Cord added the Duesenberg Motors Company to his enterprise, the Auburn Automobile Company. He purchased the company because he felt it could surpass the great marques of America and Europe. The individuals who ran the Duesenberg Company were Fred and August Duesenberg who were both self-taught mechanics and car builders whose careers started in the Midwest at the beginning of the twentieth century. The older brother (by five years), Fred, was the designer and tinkerer of the two. Augie was able to make Fred's ingenious creations work. Among the list of accomplishments by the Duesenberg Company were 70 starts at 15 consecutive Indianapolis 500s, starting with their first appearance in 1913. Of those 70 starts, 46 percent finished in the top 10. In 1922, eight of the top 10 cars were Duesenberg powered, including Jimmy Murphy's Duesenberg.

On December 1st of 1928, at the New York Auto Salon, the Duesenberg Model J was introduced. Duesenberg ordered enough materials and components to build 500 examples while development continued for six months after the Model J's introduction. Barely five months before Black Tuesday and the start of the Great Depression, in May of 1929, the first customer delivery of the Model J transpired.

Since it was intended to be the ultimate automobile, its customer base was the social elite and those who could afford the staggering price. At the heart of the Duesenberg was a twin-cam race-bred engine. It was a purpose-built 32-valve Lycoming 6,876cc straight-eight delivering 265 horsepower. When fitted with lightweight coachwork, the Model J could achieve 90 mph in second gear with a maximum speed of around 110 mph in high gear. The ride and handling were exceptional, and 15-inch hydraulic brakes were placed at all four corners. Every chassis built was tested for 100 miles on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before being handed over to a leading coachbuilder for the construction of custom bodywork.

The short wheelbase Model J chassis measured 142.5 inches, nearly 12 feet. The long-wheelbase version measured 153.5 inches.

The Model J was designed to carry imposing coachwork with style and grace. Among the list of coachbuilders who clothed the Duesenbergs was the Walter M. Murphy Company of Pasadena, California, which produced roughly 100 Duesenberg bodies, a little more than one-fifth of total production. Walter Murphy was assisted by Frank Spring and J. Gerard Kirchhoff, who supervised the projects of in-house designers and veteran freelancers.

The most popular Murphy style was the two-passenger Convertible Coupe with a rumble seat, now universally dubbed the Murphy Roadster. Approximately 60 were made and since they had custom coachwork, they are not all alike. Initially, about 25 came with a non-disappearing top; this was followed by a series of interim cars with several being one-offs, where the top folded down into a well behind the seat and could be covered by a snap-on tonneau in leather. The final iteration of this style was the 'disappearing top,' where the tonneau was replaced by a flush-fitting metal lid. This style, along with Murphy's signature ultra-thin windshield pillars and disappearing side windows, transformed the Convertible Coupe into the appearance of a Roadster. Errett Lobban Cord would later copy this Murphy design for the subsequent Cord L-29 and Auburn V-12 Salon series.

Among the list of styles Murphy built for the Model J include the Berline, Beverly, Sport Sedan, and Clear Vision Sedan.


by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2019

Background

The Duesenberg Company produced high-end, luxury automobiles and racing cars from 1913 through 1937. It was created by the Duesenberg brothers, Fred and August, who formed the Duesenberg Automobile %26 Motors Company, Inc. in Des Moines, Iowa with the intent on building sports cars. Just like many of their time, they were mostly self-taught engineers and had only constructed experimental cars up to....
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Related Reading : Duesenberg Model J History

The Duesenberg Automobile %26 Motors Company, Inc was founded and operated by Fred and August, brothers who began their company in 1913. From the start, the company has been a US-based luxury automobile company with a standard to build the very best hand-built vehicles during the time period. Duesenberg vehicles lived up to this standard until 1937 when the company closed. Created to build sports....
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1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Vehicle Profiles

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Model J

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
142.00 in., 142.50 in., 153.50 in.
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 265.00hp
142.00 in., 153.50 in.
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 265.00hp
142.00 in.
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 265.00hp
142.00 in.
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 265.00hp
142.00 in., 153.50 in.
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 265.00hp
142.50 in., 153.50 in.
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 265.00hp
$18,000 - $18,000
142.50 in., 153.50 in., 154.50 in.
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 265.00hp
142.00 in., 142.50 in., 153.50 in.
8 cyl., 419.60 CID., 265.00hp
142.00 in.
8 cyl., 419.60 CID., 265.00hp
142.00 in., 142.50 in., 153.00 in.
8 cyl., 419.60 CID., 265.00hp
$18,200 - $18,200
125.00 in., 142.50 in.
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 265.00hp
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 320.00hp
$8,500 - $8,500
142.50 in., 153.50 in.
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 265.00hp
142.50 in.
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 265.00hp
142.50 in., 153.50 in.
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 265.00hp
142.50 in., 153.50 in.
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 320.00hp
142.50 in., 178.50 in.
8 cyl., 420.00 CID., 265.00hp

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