Duesenberg J-137 Judkins Coupe

Duesenberg J-137 (chassis 2162) bodied by Judkins (from the authors collection)

This car, chassis 2162 (engine number J-137), is one of two fixed-top coupes bodied by Judkins for Duesenberg. To my eye it is one of the most handsome bodies to grace the model J chassis. This car was originally purchased by Joseph Pilling Wright (or J. P. Wright as he was known) - the other fixed-top couple is said to have gone to Frank Yount, however this car is not thought to have survived.

J. B. Judkins Company was located in Merrimac, MA and had evolved from the carriage trade to focus exclusively on automobiles around 1910. Judkins prospered during the 1920s and was one of the largest coachworks tuning out roughly 500 series-built and full custom bodies annually. The most likely person responsible for this striking coupe was Judkin's chief designer John Dobben who had come over from J. M. Quinby & Sons. Judkins build a total of 27 custom bodies for Duesenberg (on the model J chassis) covering 5 different body styles.

J.P. Wright assumed the presidency of Continental Diamond Fiber Company of Newark, Delaware and soon after acquired a Murphy bodied convertible coupe which he sent to Judkins to rebody in 1932 - resulting in the car you see here which survives to this day. Wright was in the automobile trade, the son of the founders of the National Vulcanized Fiber Company, he started his own firm in 1906 producing fibers used in the manufacturing of tires. His firm was sold to Budd in 1952.

For reasons unknown to me, the car was sold soon after completion to Shreve M. Archer. Shreve Archer, the son of George Archer, became president of Archer, Daniels, Midland Company in 1925. The car traded hands numerous times over the years, but has been beautifully restored in the last decade and is shown on occasion.

The Duesenberg Model Y

The Duesenberg Model Y test car bodied by McFarlan (from the collection of the author).

Upon E.L. Cord's acquisition of the Duesenberg company in 1926, Cord waisted no time in sitting down with Fred Duesenberg and sharing his plan for building the greatest car in the world. The Straight Eight Duesenberg (both the Model A and Model X) was discontinued and Fred went to work fulfilling Cord's directive.

Fred Duesenberg was once of America's most successful race car designers and he had ideas on how a "great" and fast car should be built. He started with a 134 inch Straight Eight Duesenberg chassis. He then increased the bore of the eight-cylinder engine, increasing displacement considerably - to 385 cubic inches. Fred experimented with different cylinder head configurations until settling on a single overhead cam with "link belt" set up to appease Cord who wanted to reduce camshaft noise.

They turned to McFarlan, who Cord had recently purchased, to provide a touring style body. Mcfarland had ceased production of their own vehicles, but continued to produce bodies for Auburn. This test vehicle became known as the Model Y - only one car was ever built - Chassis 912 / Engine No. 1594. The experimental car ended up having a significant influence on the creation and look of the now famous Model J. 

As the Model J emerged, Cord asked that the Model Y be destroyed and August Duesenberg was given the job. He is said to have destroyed the engine and chassis - saving the body and mounting it on a different Model A chassis. It is this car that survives to this day. Owned by the Kershaw family of Alabama since the 1950s, the car was on display at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum for many years. This photo may show August Duesenberg driving the car (not sure if this is before or after chassis swap). Humorously, the writing on the photos says "Old million bucks himself", referring to the amount the Duesenberg brothers were paid by Cord for their business.

The Duesenberg Model X

Duesenberg Model X speedster with body by McFarlan (from the collection of the author).

The Duesenberg brothers introduced their first production road car in 1920. The Straight Eight (later called the Model A) an innovative and well-made machine. Regardless, the Duesenberg (under-funded from the start) struggled to find enough customers to keep the company viable. When E.L. Cord (through Auburn) purchased the bankrupt Duesenberg company in 1926, Fred Duesenberg was already experimenting with a new iteration of the Straight Eight. It is thought that about dozen Model X chassis had been manufactured by the time of Cord's acquisition. Cord would put a stop to the Model X as he had bigger plans - the future Model J. The Model X featured a re-worked Model A suspension and a larger displacement (260 cubic inches) mono-block straight eight-cylinder engine. 

Only 4 Model X Duesenberg's are thought to have survived and the most well-known of the group is the car pictured here. Chassis X1954-D96E which was built for Duesenberg's race team sponsor, Arnold Kirkeby (1901-1962). Bodied by the McFarlan Motor Car company of Connersville, Indiana, the speedster body created for this Model X would influence the Auburn speedsters introduced in 1928. McFarlan Motor Car company is best remembered for their unique luxury automobiles favored by some of Hollywood's elite. However, the company also supplemented its income by providing bodies to other manufacturers - Auburn among them. Cord actually purchased the assets of the bankrupt McFarlan company in 1927 and their facility would continue to supply bodies to Auburn.

This looks as though it may very well be Kirkeby pictured in the car. A hotelier (he owned the Drake in Chicago and later the Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles) and real estate investor, Kirkeby owned a mansion in Beverly Hills (used as the location for Beverly Hillbillies TV show) and a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in Tampa, FL (Tampania). This photo could have been taken in either location - Kirkeby parted with car after a few years use and passed away in a commercial airplane crash in 1962. Thankfully the car survives to this day.