Duesenberg Model J Tourster 1932, Estados Unidos
Motor: 420 CI
Fotografia
Coachwork in the style of a Derham Tourster by Ted Billings
420 CI Straight 8 engine
3-speed manual transmission
Red exterior
Tan convertible top
Tan leather interior
Stewart Warner tachometer
Jaeger in-dash clock
Altimeter
150 MPH speedometer
In-dash brake adjustment lever with dry, rain, snow and ice
settings
Duesenberg Straight 8 Indianapolis firewall badge
Polished side engine pipes
Dual horns
Duesenberg Model J decorative hood ornament
Chrome wire wheels
Wide Whitewall tires
By the time Errett Lobban Cord announced the extraordinary
Duesenberg Model J, the company’s most valuable asset, Fred Duesenberg, was
already a giant of the American automobile industry. The Model J took that
reputation to new heights; at a time when Auburns sold for between $995 to
$2,095, and Cord’s own L-29 peaked around $3,295, the Model J demanded more
than $18,000 for openers and skyrocketed from there depending on customer
specifications. The Model J was the most technically advanced car in America,
and the most powerful by far. Its 265 HP was more than double that of its
closest competitor, the 112 HP Chrysler Imperial 80. Its second-gear top speed
of 90-plus MPH astonished even the most skeptical customers, who were also
universally impressed with the Model J’s unwavering composure at speed. It was
no surprise that the first bodies ordered by Duesenberg for the new Model J
were designed and built by Derham Body Co. of Rosemont, Pennsylvania. Founded
in 1887, Derham was unique, a family business purposely organized for utmost
flexibility in meeting varying demands from private and corporate customers
alike. Derham’s designs and coachwork so impressed E.L. Cord that he appointed
family scion Phil Derham as head of Duesenberg’s Custom Coachwork Division.
Derham Body Co. would eventually design and build more than 40 custom bodies
for the Model J and SJ. This 1932 Model J featured coachwork in the style
of a Derham Tourster by Ted Billings. Typical of Derham’s conservative yet
elegant offerings, it impresses with red body and chassis paint, burgundy
fenders, beltline and sills, a contrasting tan folding top and leather
interior, and wide whitewalls on chromed wire wheels. The powerful 420 CI Duesenberg
straight-8 with polished side-exhaust drives a 3-speed manual transmission, and
the opulent cabin incorporates a 150 MPH speedometer, Stewart Warner
tachometer, Jaeger clock, an altimeter, in-dash brake adjustment lever with
dry, rain, snow and ice settings, and wind-down rear windscreen.
