420ci DOHC Inline 8-Cylinder Engine
Single Stromberg Downdraft Carburetor
265bhp at 4,200 rpm
3-Speed Manual Transmission
Front and Rear Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes

*One of just a dozen original examples of this iconic Gordon Buehrig body design
*Stunning presentation; well-known ownership history
*An award-winner in concours competition for many years
*Auburn Cord Duesenberg (ACD) Club Certified Category 1

THE LAGRANDE 'SWEEP-PANEL' DUAL-COWL PHAETON

Among the first bodies made available for the Model J Duesenberg was a sporting Dual-Cowl Phaeton by LeBaron, which featured a contour line that began at the radiator shell and raced backward, descending until it met the middle of the front door, when it reverse-curved back into the cowl. This formed a so-called 'sweep panel,' which provided a perfect place to split one of the newly popular two-tone color schemes.

After several years, Duesenberg president Harold Ames decided to bring the production of several of the more popular body styles under the Cord Corporation's own direct auspices. Among them was the 'Sweep Panel' Dual-Cowl Phaeton, which was soon redrawn by the great Gordon Buehrig. Many feel that Buehrig improved the body's lines, with a cowl that dramatically reverse-curved into a higher beltline that flowed evenly from cowl to tail, and a more subtle curve to the 'sweep panel' itself. A narrower rear transom allowed the top to fold nearly flush with the body when lowered.

The new Buehrig design was produced by Indiana's Union City Body Company, another holding of Duesenberg company owner E.L. Cord, but like other "in-house" bodies was crowned with the sensual pseudonym of LaGrande. Each example was delivered to Duesenberg 'in the white,' and finished by the factory's own highly skilled craftsmen before being mounted to a chassis and delivered to its original owner.

A dozen examples of the LaGrande 'Sweep Panel' Dual-Cowl Phaeton are known to have been built. Proof that enduring beauty lasts – or at least evades the scrapyard – all of them remain in existence, with several being part of prominent museum collections worldwide. The prestige in which they are held by their owners is reflected in how seldom they become available for public sale.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

Short-wheelbase Model J chassis no. 2355, offered here, was originally delivered with engine no. J-334 and a Murphy Convertible Sedan body to J.H. Brewer of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and New York City. Mr. Brewer was also the original owner of a second Model J, a Rollston Town Car with engine no. J-281; at some point during Mr. Brewer's ownership, that car's engine was transplanted under the hood of the Murphy Convertible Sedan, and remains with chassis 2355 to this day.

J-281 / 2355 was sold by Brewer's estate in 1941 to Dudley Waters, an early collector in Grand Rapids, who passed it several years later to Harold Brink. It would change hands several times among Michigan enthusiasts until the mid-1950s, when it was purchased by Ernest Stern of Pittsburgh, joining a stable that also included a one-off Rollston-bodied Packard and the famous ex-Shah of Iran Bugatti Type 57C. In 1958, Mr. Stern sold his Duesenberg to Russell Strauch of Toledo, a particularly avid collector who owned at least one example of virtually every great Classic Era marque, and whose cars were frequent sights at Classic Car Club of America and ACD Club events during this era.

At the time, Classic Era automobiles were just coming into their own as collectibles, and it was common to exchange bodies for one chassis to another, if it meant putting more desirable coachwork atop a lower-mileage chassis. Accordingly, Mr. Strauch had acquired Duesenberg J-482 / 2498, with the iconic LaGrande 'Sweep Panel' Dual-Cowl Phaeton coachwork, body no. 1007. This automobile had been owned and driven extensively by many owners, including well-known Duesenberg mechanic Jim Hoe, and was fairly worn-out by the time that it wound its way into Mr. Strauch's hands. As a result the two cars exchanged bodies in an even trade, with J-281 / 2355 receiving the LaGrande Dual-Cowl Phaeton, and J-482 / 2498 receiving the Murphy Convertible Sedan coachwork, and were subsequently restored with their 'new' bodies.

J-281 / 2355, now with its present LaGrande coachwork, remained in the Strauch Collection until 1969. Soon thereafter it became one of the first of several important Duesenbergs owned by Richard Boeshore of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, who held on to this particular Model J for nearly a quarter of a century. In 1992 Mr. Boeshore sold his group of Model Js en masse to Jerry J. Moore, the flamboyant Houston real estate magnate whose collection of fine automobiles was then the world's largest, and would eventually include over thirty Duesenbergs. Reportedly this was one of Mr. Moore's favorite automobiles among his vast holdings.

Mr. Moore retained J-281 / 2355 for four years before selling it to the Blackhawk Collection, which resold it in 2001 to Richard Wesselink of San Juan Capistrano, California. In Mr. Wesselink's ownership the car was examined by the ACD Club's Certification team in 2006, and was found to retain all original Model J components, thus earning it the coveted Category 1 Certification. Copies of the Certification paperwork are included in the car's file, recording the original stampings on the frame and firewall, which properly match, as well as the original bell-housing (engine) number and even the original LaGrande body number stamped in the sill wood.

Not long thereafter the Model J was purchased by a longtime enthusiast in Missouri, in whose ownership it was shown at the Meadowbrook Concours d'Elegance in 2007, winning Best in Class despite its now decades-old restoration! Soon thereafter the car was considerably freshened, receiving its present stunning black and red livery, including new paint, upholstery, and top, as well as fresh concours-quality chrome work throughout. In this form it was invited to and exhibited at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2008.

Now having been a centerpiece of Clem and Mary Lange's wonderful collection for over a decade, J-281 / 2355 has been one of their most beloved possessions and has continued to make occasional show appearances, including winning its class at the Louisville Concours d'Elegance in 2012. The pride of ownership the Langes have had in the Duesenberg is reflected in its appearance; it remains in beautiful and well-detailed condition overall.

The opportunity to acquire an original example of the LaGrande 'Sweep Panel' Dual-Cowl Phaeton is seldom found. Indeed, this is the only example that may become available in the near future. It is in superb order and would require little to continue its successful show career in happy new hands.