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A Duesy Like no Other!

  • Story By
    John McCabe
V-12 Duesenberg 007 No American car ever came as close to perfect as the Duesenberg. Founded in Des Moines, IA by brothers August and Fred Duesenberg in 1913, the brand quickly set the benchmark for American built luxury cars. Both Duesenbergs were brilliant automotive engineers, but terrible businessmen. Although their name was well-known through their luxury cars and racing endeavors, they struggled mightily to keep the company afloat. However, their abilities, along with the brand value of their name, compelled E.L. Cord, owner of the Cord and Auburn brands of motorcars, to purchase the company and bring Fred on as the chief engineer of the division, with Augie heading up the racing engine division. Cord wanted the biggest, fastest and most expensive luxury cars to compete with Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz and other top European luxury automobiles. V-12 Duesenberg 005 Unfortunately, two very tragic events got in the path of Cord’s dreams. Fred Duesenberg passed away in 1932 as the result of an earlier automobile accident and the Great Depression consumed the planet beginning in 1929. Following Fred Duesenberg’s death, Cord cut back on his plans to “go big,” having sold only about one hundred units per year, although their goal had been set at five times that amount. Cord realized that success (or at least survival) during those hard times would come by selling smaller, cheaper cars that the public could afford to buy. Around the same time, the Auburn Speedster became one of Cord’s top-sellers. The V-8 car was a beautiful machine that many could afford. Compared to a Duesenberg, however, it was pretty much bare-bones. Cord never forgot his desire to really make the best luxury car, though and in 1935 assigned the Duesenberg division, led by the company's chief body designer, Gordon Buehrig, to build the “Gentlemen’s Speedster.” A car similar to the Speedster, but with all the trimmings… including a V-12 engine! Surprisingly, every production Duesey was an 8-cylinder model. Although many of their competitors were also producing 12-cylinder cars and even an occasional 16-cylinder, the fabulous cars produced by Duesenberg were all V-8s. At the time that Duesenberg was working on the Gentlemen’s Speedster, their production model was the Model J which was powered by a Duesenberg-designed, Lycoming-built L-8 powerplant. V-12 Duesenberg 011 Dean Opens Hood In 1936, based on Buerig’s designs, the company created a single prototype of the Duesenberg Gentlemen’s Speedster. This prototype was powered by a 390.8 c.i. Lycoming L-Head V-12 producing 160+ hp. Unfortunately, the Cord empire collapsed under the weight of the Great Depression and not a single production unit could be made. The prototype was believed to have been originally sold to actor Jackie Coogan and had adorned the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum during the 1970s and 1980s before being sold to a private collector. The private collector eventually sold it to the Swigart Museum in Huntingdon, PA, where its beauty now graces their halls. Mrs. Pat Swigart, owner of America’s oldest automotive museum, was nice enough to allow DrivingLine to see this completely unique engine and we are, of course, sharing the pictures with you. Enjoy! V-12 Duesenberg 002 V-12 Duesenberg 008 V-12 Duesenberg 004 V-12 Duesenberg 0010  
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