The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum presents a new exhibit titled Duesenberg: The Evolution of America’s Finest Motorcar. The exhibit opens September 1, 2020 and will be showcased in the Art Deco Showroom of the Museum.
This exhibit includes a uniquely curated selection of eight Duesenberg vehicles and two engines that have never been seen together before. The exhibit comprehensively tells the story of the Duesenberg passenger vehicle and its evolution in all forms including the Model A, experimental Model X’s and Y, finally leading to the debut of the coveted Model J.
The Duesenberg automobiles are amongst the most prestigious, technologically advanced, and stylish of the Classic Era. The Duesenberg Model A, introduced in 1920, was America’s first production straight-eight-cylinder engine car and the first American vehicle produced with four-wheel hydraulic brakes. In 1926, Errett Lobban Cord acquired controlling interest in the Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company and issued a single challenge, to build the most powerful and extravagant passenger car to date. The result of that challenge was the Duesenberg Model J, a grandiose automobile unlike any other, which utilized some of the most talented and brilliant minds of the era.
However, there was a transitional period where all aspects of the Duesenberg were reviewed, revised, upgraded, and made completely new. Those Duesenbergs, now known as the Model X and the Model Y, were the transitional models where everything from the engine to the frame were engineered and modified.
The eight vehicles on display include the first ever Duesenberg sold to the public and known as the “Castle Duesenberg,” Augie Duesenberg’s 1926 Model A, 1926 Model A operable show chassis, 1927 Model Y, 1927 Model X Sedan, Dual-Cowl Phaeton, Speedster, and 1929 Model J Convertible Coupe. A Duesenberg Model A engine and Model J engine are also on display to showcase the engineering prowess of the Duesenberg brothers.
The museum appreciates its supporters and vehicle loaners including Bob Becker, Buck Kamphausen, Eric Killorin, Perry Pintzow, Josh Voss, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, and the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.
