Duesenberg Model J History
The legendary Model J (introduced 1928) — a 265-hp DOHC straight-eight on a coachbuilt chassis, the most magnificent American car of the Classic era.
Photo: “1931 Duesenberg Model J, Tallahassee Automobile Museum” by Michael Rivera / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
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Conceived by E. L. Cord as the finest car in the world, the Model J was unveiled at the New York Salon on December 1, 1928 (as a 1929 model). Engineered by Fred Duesenberg, its 420-cubic-inch (6.9-litre) straight-eight used double overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder — exotic technology for any 1928 road car — and produced 265 horsepower, roughly double the output of its closest American rivals.
The Model J was sold as a chassis only — priced around $8,500 before coachwork, with finished cars reaching $14,000–$20,000 in the depths of the Depression — and clothed by the world's great coachbuilders, with many of the most admired bodies designed in-house by Gordon Buehrig. It was the car of film stars, royalty, and tycoons, and the source of the period slang 'It's a Duesy.'
Total Model J production (including the supercharged SJ) was only about 481 cars before the factory closed in 1937. Surviving examples are among the most valuable automobiles in the world.
Generations
Model J / SJ · Model J
Photo: “1931 Duesenberg Model J, Tallahassee Automobile Museum” by Michael Rivera / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
The 420-cubic-inch DOHC straight-eight Model J and its supercharged SJ sibling — sold as a chassis and clothed by the world's great coachbuilders, the apex of the American Classic era.
1929 Photo: “https://www.flickr.com/photos/capcase/15588423519/” by James Case / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
1931 Photo: “1931 Duesenberg Model J, Tallahassee Automobile Museum” by Michael Rivera / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
1932 Photo: “1932 Duesenberg SJ - Collings Foundation - Massachusetts - DSC07171” by Daderot / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Cropped to 16:9.
1933 Photo: “DSC05753” by Steve Ginn from Western Washington, United States / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Cropped to 16:9.
1934 Photo: “1934 Duesenberg SJ Convertible Coupe” by Sicnag / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
1935 Photo: “https://www.flickr.com/photos/119886413@N05/28835380224/” by Michel Curi / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9.
1937 Photo: “Duesenberg 1937 Model J Limousine Landaulette (Throne car) photo1” by Alf van Beem / Wikimedia Commons — Public domain. Cropped to 16:9.
Body styles
- Coachbuilt chassis
- Convertible coupe
- Phaeton
- Roadster
- Sedan
- Limousine
- Town car
Notable special editions & performance variants
Model SJ
The supercharged Model J — a centrifugal supercharger raised output to about 320 hp, with distinctive external exhaust pipes through the hood. Only 36 supercharged SJ cars were built; capable of roughly 130–140 mph.
SSJ (short-wheelbase supercharged)
Two short-wheelbase (125-inch) supercharged roadsters making about 400 hp, built for actors Gary Cooper and Clark Gable. Cooper's SSJ sold at auction in 2018 for $22 million — at the time the most expensive American car ever sold.
Mormon Meteor (Duesenberg Special)
A land-speed-record special built on a supercharged Model J chassis and driven by Ab Jenkins at the Bonneville Salt Flats; later renamed 'Mormon Meteor' after a Curtiss Conqueror aircraft engine was fitted.
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