1930 duPont Series G Special Sport Sedan by Merrimac

1930 duPont Special Sport Sedan in Manhattan

As you could probably guess, I enjoy searching for old photos of early cars. When at Monterey’s classic car week, this means a stop at Automobilia Monterey and it was there that I found this image of a uniquely bodied duPont series G.

Honestly, all duPonts are unique as only an estimated 600 total cars were produced by the duPont Motor Company in the thirteen years they were in business. E. Paul duPont founded the company to produce marine engines for the Allied war effort in World War I.  They introduced their first automobiles at the 1919 International Salon held at the Commodore Hotel in New York City. The series G was introduced in 1929, with a 125hp straight-eight engine. These luxury cars were bodied by some of the best firms of the day with Merrimac being the largest supplier - said to be over 120 bodies.  The Merrimac Body Company, a spin-off of parent company J.B. Judkins was named for it’s location – Merrimac, MA. The body company got it’s start in 1920 when Judkins couldn’t handle a series production body order from Mercer. The Mercer fell through when Mercer filed for bankruptcy, but the company survived to serve duPont, Franklin, Locomobile, and most notably Rolls-Royce of America.

This car wears a Merrimac body described by duPont as a Special Sport Sedan. The body style was advertised in the day by duPont, but I would guess that few were built and this is where our story takes a wild turn.

It just so happens that The Pebble Beach Concours was hosting a featured class of duPonts this year and as I strolled though the cars lining up for the Tour d’Elegance Thursday, I spot this car. Not one like; but this very car! Apparently, Merrimac only built one Special Sport Sedan and it’s currently owned by a member of the DuPont family – how cool is that.

At the time of this picture, duPont had four dealer show rooms across the country: New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Los Angeles. The car is seen in front of 1 Sutton Place in Manhattan, an upscale apartment building completed in 1927 on the banks of the East River in mid-town. E. Paul duPont became president of Indian Motorcycles in 1930, saving Indian from impending financial ruin. The Du Pont Motor Company ceased building cars in 1932 due to the depression and was merged with the Indian Company.

The duPont Special Sport Sedan on the Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance (author's photo)

2015 Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance

One of the great pleasures of Monterey's classic car week is seeing the cars under power on the Tour d'Elegance. Honestly, there are too many people and too many cars to shot photos of everthing, but here's a few that caught me eye.

Mercedes C-111

T.G. Mittler's Cunningham C2R

Rolls-Royce Ghost from the McGee Collection

Stutz Bearcat driven by Wayne Carini

Mercedes from the Keller family collection

Duesenberg Model J from the Yeaggy Collection

Ferrari 275 Competition from the Mozart Collection driven by a friend (yes, I'm jealous)

1902 Thomas

Mercer from the Jack Rich Collection (driven by John Rich)

One of the nicest Pope-Hartford's attending this year

Rolls-Royce PII Newmarket Sedan

Pope-Toledo

Astro-Damlier from the Nethercutt Collection

Spectacular T57 Bugatti

Isotta-Fraschini from the Patterson Collection

duPont race car

duPont Merrimac Sport Sedan owned by the duPont family

Sites and sounds from 2015 Monterey Auctions

What a wonderful, crazy, hot, crowded, and marvelous week it's been in Monterey this year. Here's a few cars of interest at the various auctions held on the peninsula this week.

2014 Pebble Beach Concours Class winner form the Off Brother Collection

Ex Henry Austin Clark whom purchased the car from Mr. Pungs in 1955.

Judge Cassini brought a different Stutz Monte Carlo to the Pebble Beach Concours this year.

2015 Copperstate 1000

Always a great event and right here in my backyard, here's a collection of photos from this year's event.

Cars gathered on the filed getting ready for the start (author's photo).

Alfa Romeo TZ1 (author's photo).

Maserati Bora owned by a local collector (author's photo).

Great old Volvo ready to rally (author's photo).

Lovely Alfa Romeo 1900 (author's photo).

A friend's Volvo P1800 (author's photo).

Maserati 200S (author's photo).

Author Clive Cussler's 4 1/2/ liter Bentley (author's photo).

Fantastic Ferrari Superfast (author's photo).

AC Aceca coupe (author's photo).

Duesenberg J-183

Duesenberg J-183 (chassis 2201) with body by Derham (from the author's collection)

The fascinating history of Duesenberg chassis 2201 (engine J-183) starts with the handsome town car body seen in the photo and created by Enos Derham. I've written about Derham previously as one of the longest-lived American coachworks - surviving two world wars. The company was founded by Joseph Derham as the Rosemont Carriage Works only a few miles west of Philadelphia. Enos Derham, the youngest of four brothers that followed their father into the firm, would end up running the company. They were known for their formal coachwork and bodied many great brands including Duesenberg. Interestingly, the company survived the second world war and was finally sold in 1964 with Enos and his partner continuing on doing antique automobile restorations up until the building became the home to Chinetti & Garthwaite - the US distributor for Ferrari.

After Derham was finished with the body, the Duesenberg was delivered to it's first owner, Edwin Corning (1883-1934) - the recently retired Lieutenant Governor of New York. It was Corning's grandfather, Erastus Corning, that built the family's fortune by founding the New York Central Railroad. Edwin suffered from Diabetes and it was probably ill health that lead him to getting rid of the Duesenberg soon after. 

The car then find's it's way to Colonel Henry (Harry) H. Rogers II. Harry's father had become Vice President of Standard Oil after the company where he was a partner was acquired by Rockefeller. It's always nice to inherit an unimaginable sum of money at a young age and that's exactly what happened to Harry when his father passed in 1909. Harry would achieve the title of "Colonel" from his command of the third field artillery in the great war (WWI). Harry went on to live well with an estate on Long Island, a yacht, and eventually working his way through three marriages.

It was in December of 1933 when the Roger's were driving along the Long Island thoroughfare in this Duesenberg that they collided with another car. The car is said to have caught fire and was destroyed. The Colonel escaped without injury, but would pass away two years later at the age of 56.

The remains of the car were then discovered by the early Duesenberg enthusiast, Jim Hoe, in 1950. Jim acquired the chassis and running gear and built his own Duesenberg custom racer. He is said to have cut down the frame, placed engine J-441 (retaining the original bell housing from J-183) and built his own body. Used for many years in that state, the car was later sold and has since been "re-created" with a re-constructed frame, new engine and now wearing a Dual-Cowl Phaeton body (in the style of Murphy Coachworks) - but it's still referred too as J-183.