1927 Duesenberg Model Y

Duesenberg Motors Company, Inc. was founded in 1913 on University Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota by German-American brothers Fred and Augie Duesenberg. The brothers were talented and self-taught engineers who had a passion for racing and many of their vehicles were built for competition. Their experience came from tinkering with Marion automobiles, founding and working at the Mason Motor Company (later Maytag-Mason Company), and working for the Sears Automobile Company. In 1913, two Duesenberg-powered, Mason Motor Company-sponsored automobiles with four cylinders and a 350 cubic-inch displacement contested the Indianapolis 500. Willie Haupt drove his entry to 9th place and Robert Evans finished 13th.

Motorsports

At the 1914 Indy 500, the Duesenberg brothers enter vehicles bearing their name into the race and would finish in 10th and 12th place. The 10th-place car was driven by Eddie Rickenbacker who would continue to race for Duesenberg, scoring numerous victories behind the wheel of the Duesenberg. He would later become America's top flying ace during World War I, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and President and CEO of Eastern Airlines.

Although the Duesenberg company was in its infancy, it captured 34 first-place finishes during the 1914 season, including 7 seconds, and 14th thirds in 73 starts. At the 1915 edition of the Indy 500, a Duesenberg finished in 8th place.

The early Duesenbergs were powered by a 'Walking Beam' style engine, in which the overhead valves were directly activated by two-foot-long rocker arms. This innovative design became the standard for the Duesenbergs' competition cars before WWI and was later adopted for passenger car use. The eight-cylinder engines that followed during the early 1920s used two blocks of four cylinders with each cylinder featuring two exhausts and one inlet valve operated by a single overhead camshaft. A shaft connected to the crank drove the camshafts. While most of the period racing cars used a four-speed transmission, the Duesenberg continued to use a three-speed manual. The chassis was a ladder frame with live axles with semi-elliptic leaf springs and friction dampers. Stopping power was provided by rear-wheel brakes.

Engine displacement size had been loosely regulated beginning in 1914 in attempts to level the racing field. By 1920, the regulations had become more strict, prompting creativity from manufacturers such as forced induction. The displacement size was set at three liters in 1920 for many races, including international events. Several European companies contested U.S.-based races, including French Ballot, Sunbeam, and Peugeot.

For the 1921 season, the Duesenberg brothers constructed four race cars, featuring four-wheel braking. These cars were designed for the first post-WWI Grand Prix at LeMans. Among the competition were the quad-brake, French-built, double overhead camshaft Ballot cars. The real competition, however, was from the racing conditions and the course quickly shred tires making it very treacherous. The car driven by Jimmy Murphy was nearly forced to retire due to a pierced radiator and shredded tire. The car was overheating, yet Murphy was determined to compete. The quick and temporary repairs were made in the pits, and the car re-entered the race, limping along to victory, its first significant European victory. An American victory of this magnitude did not re-occur until 1966.

The Model A

The brothers sold their Minnesota and New Jersey factories in 1919 to John Willys and moved to new headquarters and factory in Indianapolis, Indiana where the 'Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company, Inc. was established in 1920 with the purpose of building road-going production cars. The New Jersey factory had been used during World War I to build aviation and marine engines, providing financial resources, knowledge, experimentation, and knowledge.

The first 'mass-produced' production Duesenberg was the Model A powered by a straight-eight engine with an overhead camshaft, and four-valve cylinder heads. It used four-wheel 16-inch hydraulic brakes which had been designed by Fred in conjunction with Lockheed. This was the first use of this setup on a passenger car. Using the knowledge gained from racing, the engine was among the most durable, reliable, and powerful on the market. They were more than capable of carrying the large and elegant coachbuilt bodies built atop the ladder-style chassis frame of rather conventional design. The 260 cubic-inch engine with nearly 90 horsepower was backed by a three-speed sliding gear transmission with four-wheel hydraulic brakes. The latter was the Model A's real innovation, sharing those honors with the Rickenbacker and the one-off Colonial as one of the first American automobiles to be so-equipped.

Between 1921 and 1926, the company produced approximately 500 examples of the Model A with the majority wearing factory-cataloged body styles by such well-known coachbuilders as the Fleetwood Metal Body Company, located in the Pennsylvania town of the same name.

The brother's talents were as engineers, not as administrators or businessmen. As such, the sale of the Model A was never in high quantities. Although the vehicles were among the most advanced on the road, they were also among the most expensive, with prices that began at $6,500. Duesenberg was not alone, however, as other companies struggled during the early 1920s, such as the newly formed Lincoln. Lincoln had been founded by Henry Leland, one of the primary individuals who had formed Cadillac. He remained with Cadillac after it was acquired by G.M., leaving when a lucrative government engine contract presented itself. He formed Lincoln to build those engines, and after the contract expired, the company was retooled for automobile production. The cars that followed had advanced engineering and benefitted from Leland's vast experience. However, sales were very slow and Leland was soon forced to sell his company to Henry Ford. Many attribute its demise to stodgy styling and Lelands need for perfection often caused production delays. These reasons, compound with the post-War economic depression and material shortages, played a role in the eventual Ford takeover. Another example, Packard, introduced a down-market product that appealed to a wider audience, stimulating sales and allowing them to invest in the development of new technology. Pierce-Arrow, who remained true to the luxury car segment and its six-cylinder engine, was forced to merge with Studebaker in the 1920s, gaining them the financial resources needed to compete in a constantly evolving marketplace.

In a similar vein, Duesenberg automobiles were affected by the economic hardships of the era. Although they were one of the few to offer an eight-cylinder model, and its styling and coachwork were supplied by some of the best in the industry, the Duesenberg Company found it hard to compete in the niche market.

Reinforcing the lack of business sense argument, however, Fred Duesenberg could have earned a fortune had he patented the hydraulic braking system developed on his 1914 racing cars.

The Model X

The Model A was among the smallest, lightest, fastest, and most powerful vehicles within its price segment. The Model X was an even sportier version resting on a longer, 136-inch wheelbase that allowed for even more luxurious and opulent coachwork. The 100 horsepower engine, depending on the coachwork, was capable of reaching 100 mph. Among the differences between the Model A and the Model X were the hypoid differentials on the Model X, and all of the valves were on a single side. Approximately 13 examples were built between 1926 and 1927.

The Model Y

Duesenberg Motors was acquired by E.L. Cord of Auburn Automobile Company in Auburn, Indiana, in 1926. Mr. Cord's intention for his newly acquired car company was to transform it into producing the world's greatest automobile. Working with Fred Duesenberg, one of the two founding brothers of the company, Mr. Cord put together the idea for a prototype. It was called the Model Y, and it used a 134-inch wheelbase chassis of the Model A. Its prototype engine was based upon the Model A's SOHC unit but modified to displace 412 cubic inches. It also was given four valves per cylinder, which helped in producing 200 horsepower. Over the months that followed, the basic design would continue to evolve and would eventually form the basis for the Model J's Lycoming-built, 420 cubic-inch DOHC mill.

Two examples of the Duesenberg Model Y are known to have been produced. One was given a sedan body, and the other a Phaeton body built by McFarlan of Connersville, Indiana, which had become part of E.L. Cord's empire in 1928. Both the sedan and the phaeton were styled by Alan Leamy. Aside from the Ryanlites, this styling would be used virtually verbatim on the eventual Model J.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2021