An absolutely superb and rare photo of Jimmy Murphy photographed at the French Grand Prix while
sitting in an ultra rare and utterly amazing Duesenberg Straight 8 Grand Prix racer! This photo was taken
before the start of the 1921 race at Le Mans.
The American Duesenberg Straight 8 race car was build with the
experiences learned from the 1916 Indianapolis 500 race. Duesenberg finished
2ND in that race after they fought a race long battle for victory. World War I
sparked more development for the Duesy Straight-8 engine as they adapted it for
aeroplane and boating use. The Duesenberg Straight-Eight was a work of art.
Strikingly modern, the valve layout featured per cylinder 2 exhaust valves and
1 inlet valve. They were operated by a bevel driven single overhead camshaft.
The power output was hefty with 115 bhp, giving the car a top speed of 110 mph (177,03 km/h). The stock road going model delivered a considerably
lower output of 100 bhp. The transmission featured a three speed manual
transmission, its competitors almost all had four speeds but the Straight Eight
was so smooth that this was not considered necessary, not even for a racer...
The chassis was a typical yet very sturdily made ladder type chassis. The front
and rear suspension featured semi-elliptic leaf springs and friction dampers.
Only the rear wheels featured brakes. The Duesenberg Straight-8 engine was produced
from 1921 to 1937. Among Fred and August Duesenberg ‘s Straight-8 accomplishments
are wins at the Indianapolis 500, the 1921 French Grand Prix, and offcourse the
speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats and many other (Inter)National
races. Even Scuderia Ferrari, the raceteam operated and owned by Enzo Ferrari
before he started his own car factory, used the Duesenberg Straight 8. Though
it was heavily modified, its Duesy roots remained clear. In fact, the ex-Scuderia
Ferrari Duesenberg was (and still is) the fourth fastest car ever to lap the
prestigious British Brooklands Circuit. The Duesenberg achieved a lap speed of 138.15 mph on 13th October 1934 in the hands of Whitney
Straight. It went on racing at Brooklands for some time afterwards in the hands
of George Duller who lapped it at 134.24 mph in the Dunlop Jubilee
meeting. That Duesy rubs shoulders with all the other Duesenberg Straight-8
racing cars that marveled the racing world in the 1920s and 1930s in the hands
of its racers and designers like Fred Clemons, Augie Duesenberg, Derby Miller
and Gwenda Stewart (holder of the women’s lap record at Brooklands) and so on!
Duesenberg (Duesy) was an Auburn, Indiana based luxury
automobile company active in various forms from 1913 to 1937, most famous for
its high-quality, record-breaking roadsters. In 1913, brothers Fred and August
Duesenberg founded Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company, Inc. on State
Street in Garner, Iowa to build sports cars. Born in 1876 and 1879 in Lemgo, Germany, the two brothers
were self-taught engineers and built many experimental cars. Duesenberg cars
were considered some of the very best cars of the time, and were built entirely
by hand. In 1914, Eddie Rickenbacker drove a "Duesy" to finish in
10th place at the Indianapolis 500, and a
Duesenberg won the race in 1924, 1925, and 1927. 1923 saw the only use of a
Duesenberg as the pace car at the Indianapolis 500. In 1921, Jimmy Murphy became the first American
to win the French Grand Prix when he drove a Duesenberg to victory at the Le Mans racetrack.
Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company moved from New Jersey to a new
headquarters and factory in Indianapolis in July 1921 to
begin production of passenger vehicles. Although the Duesenberg brothers were
world-class engineers, they were unable to sell their Model A car, their first
"mass-produced" vehicle—just 667 were ever made. It was considered
extremely advanced, offering features such as dual overhead camshafts,
four-valve cylinder heads, and the first hydraulic brakes offered on a
passenger car. The company went into receivership in 1922, finally being
acquired from creditors by a Fred Duesenberg-led investor group in 1925,
forming the Duesenberg Motors Company. E.L. Cord, the owner of Cord Automobile,
Auburn Automobile, and other transportation firms, bought the company in 1926
for the brothers' engineering skills (and the brand name) in order to produce
luxury cars. Hiring Fred Duesenberg to design the chassis and an engine that
would be the best in the world, the newly revived Duesenberg company set about
to produce the Model J, which debuted at the New York Car Show of 1928. In unsupercharged form, it produced a whopping
265 horsepower (198 kW) from a dual overhead camshaft straight 8 and was
capable of a top speed of 119 mph (192 km/h), and 94 mph (151 km/h) in 2nd gear. The
supercharged version, sometimes called the SJ, was reputed to do 104 miles per hour (167 km/h) in second and have a top
speed of 135–140 mph (217–225 km/h) in third. Zero-to-60 mph (100 km/h) times of around eight
seconds and 0-to-100 mph (160 km/h) times of 17 seconds were
reported for the SJ in spite of the unsynchronized transmissions, at a time
when even the best cars of the era were not likely to reach 100 mph (160 km/h). Duesenbergs generally
weighed around two and a half tons; up to three tons was not unusual,
considering the wide array of custom coachwork available. Only the chassis and
engine were displayed at New York, since the
interior and body of the car would be custom-made by an experienced
coachbuilder to the owner's specifications. The bodyworks for the Duesenbergs
came from both North America and Europe, and the finished
cars comprised some of the largest, grandest, most beautiful, and most elegant
cars ever created. The chassis cost $8,500 ($9,500 after 1932); the completed
base model cost $13,500; and a top-of-the-line model could reach $25,000 at a
time when the average U.S. physician earned
less than $3,000 a year. The supercharged Model J, with 320 hp (often
referred to as "SJ") was introduced in 1932. Special-bodied models,
such as the later "Mormon Meteor" chassis, achieved an average speed
of over 135 mph (217 km/h) and a one-hour average of
over 152 mph (245 km/h) at Bonneville Salt
Flats, Utah. The SJ's supercharger was
located beside the engine; to make room for it, the exhaust pipes were creased
so they could be bent easily and extended through the side panel of the hood.
These supercharged cars can be recognized by these shiny creased tubes, which
Cord registered as a trademark and used in his other supercharged cars from
Cord and Auburn. It was said,
"The only car that could pass a Duesenberg was another Duesenberg—and that
was with the first owner's consent." The Duesenberg quickly became one of
the most popular luxury cars in America and also in Europe, driven by the
nobility, rich and famous, among them Clark Gable, Gary Cooper (each driving
one of the two very rare SSJ 125? short-wheelbase convertibles), the Duke of
Windsor, the King of Spain Alfonso XIII, who was very keen on motoring, chose
his now missing Duesenberg J, among his cars, to go to exile after the
proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic. Duesenberg advertising claimed it
was the best car in the world, and their world-beating performance and extreme
opulence tended to back that up. There was a gradual evolution (up to the 1937
model) to preserve the "stately lines" while moving into a more
integrated mode of styling. The final evolution of the Duesenberg engine was
ram-air intakes, which were added to some of the last supercharged models to
produce 400 hp (298 kW), referred to as "SSJ" (also a name
never used by the factory). Of the 470 Model Js and 11 SJs produced between
1928 and 1937, about 384 are extant. Duesenberg ceased production in 1937 after
Cord's financial empire collapsed. After World War II, August Duesenberg tried
to revive the Duesenberg name, but was unsuccessful; several later attempts
were also unsuccessful. The closest came in the mid-1960s, with Fritz (August's
son) at the helm and Virgil Exner as the stylist, using the chassis of a 1966
Imperial and a Chrysler engine. One of Exner's Duesenberg designs was later
produced as the modern Stutz Bearcat. A 1970s Duesenberg was also created,
based on a Cadillac Fleetwood and with modern styling, although its production
was not high. Beginning with its introduction in 1975 at the ACD Festival in Auburn, Indiana, the reproduction
Duesenberg II automobile was produced and sold through mid-2000. Five models of
the original Duesenbergs were made, each one carefully copied from an original
and visually identical, with a modern Ford V8 driveline and modern comfort features.
These exacting reproductions sold for up to US$225,000. The Duesenberg name
still lives on as an object of opulence and luxury. It is estimated that as of
2006, approximately 50% (or roughly 600) of the originally manufactured Duesenbergs
are still on the road as classic cars or "oldtimers".
This is a very nice and very rare photo that reflects a wonderful era of
Duesenberg automotive history in a wonderful way. This is your rare chance to own this
photo, therefore it is printed in a nice large format of ca. 8" x 10"
(ca. 20 cm x 26 cm). It makes it
perfectly suitable for framing.
Contact us for more Duesenberg and other automotive photos!
Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos you
buy. For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!
All our photos are modern photos that are traditionally made from what we believe are the original negatives and are copyright protected.
(Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on photo, for ebay purposes only)
No copyright expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our archives that we have gathered from various sources.
All items always sent well protected in PVC clear files and board backed envelopes.
They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace, restaurant, bar or club!
First come - first served. And you can always contact us for your requests. Please ask any questions before the auction ends.