Online Auto Museum

Duesenberg Model J Cabriolet, d'Ieteren Frères, J-519, 1935

Location:
RM Sotheby's, Hershey, 2017

Owner: Thomas F. Derro | Carlisle, Massachusetts

Prologue:

Image Source: Nikon D750 (24.3 MP)

Image 7 finished at 16.1 MP.

One that got away, we first saw J-519 at the 2006 Radnor Hunt Concours d'Elegance, where I'd toted my trusty film camera and soaked up a mesmerizing automotive assortment with fine film granularity. Not so good for photo-illustrations however, and for many years I hoped to see this Model J once again. The Hershey auction in 2017 finally offered an opportunity to glimpse the car before it moved out of the region, no less alongside the 1933 Silver Arrow I had considered my top priority among all vehicles to profile. I took a rare day off work—at the time providing technical analysis and business case support at a federal financial institution—and drove north for a relaxing afternoon of photos. The results follow a determination to focus on portraits, which fill half this gallery.

So, 16 years after first sight, this J-519 profile finally came together in 2022, focusing on bold two-tone blue compositions spread across lovely steel contours. This car remains my favorite Duesenberg of those I've photographed (no modest number), and stands a close companion in my mind among the finest of those I have not. Of course the first impression, seeing J-519 at my first concours event, counts for a lot. But one of the few examples I think better, at least among those I know of in the vicinity, is J-312, the two-tone Graber-bodied cabriolet.

As I like to build period re-creations, I'm happy to add an imposing perspective based on J-519's original livery (14). I might be a tad too excited about color in this piece, but the coachwork is a Belgian confection for a car originally delivered to the Netherlands; and as both demographics tend toward wacky contrasts anyhow, I like to think the excess color suits the composition. One can't always (and maybe shouldn't ever) photograph classic era cars in front of mansions and castles. So let this image comment on the lost cosmopolitan nature of grand automobiles with echoes of civic buildings I mapped into the background. At left is the mid-18th century Zion Church of the City of Baltimore, and at right the mid-19th century Peabody Conservatory.

References:

  • Automobile Quarterly's Great Cars & Grand Marques, "Mighty Model J," by Don Vorderman, Automobile Quarterly Publications. Princeton, NJ, pages 19-20
  • Automobile Quarterly, Volume 30, Number 4, Summer 1992, "Chariots of the Gods: The Grandeur of the Model J" by Randy Ema, The Kutztown Publishing Company, Inc. Kutztown, PA, page 54
  • "Duesenberg: The Pursuit of Perfection," by Fred Roe, Motorbooks International, 1982, page 221
  • RM Sotheby's: See the auction description for owner history.

 

Last Updated: Nov 11, 2024