Going across the block in Central Florida soon. 7 figures expected.

1930 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Phaeton Upgraded Coachwork by Fran Roxas of Chicago for sale by Mecum Auction

I'd have a hard time choosing between this and a 500k.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

If I hit the powerball for $630M+ or whatever it was I'd race Jay Leno to see who could buy the most Duesenbergs!

As Jay Leno said the Duesenberg is still the best car in the world.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

One thing to consider with any Duesenberg, whether it be a Model A, X, or J, is that Fred was always thinking racing in all of his work. A Model J is really a giant race car, however, the engine build quality is not as good as compared to a Model A or Model X. Realize that the Model J was build after E.L. Cord purchased Duesenberg. Fred Duesenberg was concerned about quality, Cord was concerned about making money. The Model J engine was built by Lycoming. Not that the construction was bad, but not as good as the engines made by Duesenberg.

FYI....the ride of a Duesenberg Model J is VERY intoxicating. The power is commanding. The snob factor is out of this world. They are a bad a** car.

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Current:
1985 300D aka Miss Margaret
1991 300SE aka Alarice
1995 SL320 aka Samantha
1997 K1500 Silverado
Past:
1999 E300 ex-wife got it and let her son ruin it
1984 190 2.3 ex-wife got it and let her son destroy a great car
1985 300D (CA version) aka Maybelline lost to deer at high speed.
1981 300D aka Madeline (went to salvage at near 400k) rusty, yet best car I ever drove
Wishlist:
McFarlan TV6 (only a few privately owned)
ReVere with Rochester engine
1917 Premier (only one left)

I do not know how many exist (I am guessing less than 5) but if you want a non-Duesenberg with a Duesenberg engine look for a ReVere. ReVere is another of the gems of Indiana. Made in Logansport, Indiana the ReVere used a 4 cylinder Duesenberg racing engine for a while to power them. Just don't expect to find much support in maintaining one. The ReVere is one of the makes that are targeted for the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum to acquire.

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Current:
1985 300D aka Miss Margaret
1991 300SE aka Alarice
1995 SL320 aka Samantha
1997 K1500 Silverado
Past:
1999 E300 ex-wife got it and let her son ruin it
1984 190 2.3 ex-wife got it and let her son destroy a great car
1985 300D (CA version) aka Maybelline lost to deer at high speed.
1981 300D aka Madeline (went to salvage at near 400k) rusty, yet best car I ever drove
Wishlist:
McFarlan TV6 (only a few privately owned)
ReVere with Rochester engine
1917 Premier (only one left)

I saw a bare chassis at Hershey a few years ago, and was surprised to see the same rag joints in the drive shaft as our Mercedes. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised as a good idea is still a good idea.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

Am I reading the description correctly, the body has been re-done?

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

Looks like it. I suppose that part isn't considered as grave a sin as it sounds since the original body would not have been from Duesenberg either?

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"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

yes. on a car like this where the factory builds only the chassis a correct but non original body does not impact value much.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Rebodying a car was pretty normal back in the day. Bentley, Bugatti, etc were all commonly rebodied.

A lot of times limo's were turned into more sport models.



This is actually a Duesenberg, when you wrote your big check to them that's all you got. Than you would take it to Murphy for example to have the body of your choosing fitted.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

A story told to me about fifty years ago by an old guy that worked on high dollar cars:

During that era, if you had that kind of money, you had someone who drove you around and maintained the car or cars you owned. It was common for this person to pick out the chassis and the owner to pick out the body. I don't get into the whole private jet thing but I understand that is the norm today in that market with the pilot picking the aircraft and the owner picking the interior.

Every high dollar car company did this, and there were rumors then that some dealers would offer a kickback to the chassis buyer if that would seal the deal.

Duesenberg was known far and wide to be a company that did not allow this practice. Perhaps that is why so few of them were sold?

Perhaps two years or so ago there was a four part series on some cable net that went into Leno's search for a Duesenberg in New York that was said to be parked in some downtown garage. He finally found it and had it restored at a cost of, I think, two million.

If that figure is correct then $1.5 million would be a good deal.

that and the $15,000 price for a chassis when a ford could be bought for $600.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I think Jay has 8 or 9 of them, probably one of the best Duesenberg collections in the world I would think.

I know one is unrestored and one is a custom super expensive one off that even by 1930's custom car standards was extreme.

Jay has several of the boxy limo's which are more valuable now because everyone cut them up in the 1940's to make speedsters.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Jay Leno's streamlined example was rumored to have cost well north of $25k...during the height of the Great Depression...

I guess a modern equivalent would be like a very custom $5m Veyron.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Take a look at this 1/6 scale model. I saw this in the flesh at Cabin Fever in York, PA several years ago. I understand the build time approached 20,000 hours.
Duesenberg SJ Miniature Engine Running by Louis Chenot, 1/6 scale model video - SmokStak

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'83 300D, 126K miles.