Duesenberg

US, 1920 – 1937, 1966

(1) Duesenberg Motor Co, Indianapolis, Ind., 1920 – 1937

(2) Duesenberg Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind., 1966

Fred Duesenberg began by making bicycles and designed his first Duesenberg car, the Mason, in 1904. He and his brother August made engines with horizontal overhead valves for the 1912 Mason racing cars, and founded Duesenberg Motors in the following year in order to produce marine engines and complete racing cars bearing the Duesenberg name. The most famous of the latter appeared in 1920: a 3-litre Bugatti-inspired Duesenberg straight-8 with single overhead camshaft and three (vertical) valves per cylinder. This Duesenberg won the 1921 French Grand Grand Prix. In the 1920s the Duesenberg racing cars were the great rivals of the Millers at Indianapolis, and victory was assured in 1924 by the adoption of a centrifugal blower on Duesenberg cars. Though a two-stroke 1½-litre 8-cylinder racing engine capable of 7.000rpm was made in 1926, this was not proceeded with. The horizontal-valve Duesenberg engine was taken over in 1920 by the Rochester Motor Manufacturing Co Inc and was used in various sporting and luxury cars.

Meanwhile, at the end of 1920, the first Duesenberg production car made its debut. This Duesenberg Model A was an extremely expensive, if very advanced, luxury car, embodying an 8-cylinder in-line engine – the first to be seen in an American production car – of 4.2 litres, basically similar to the Duesenberg racing unit, but with only two valves per cylinder and developing about 100bhp. There were also hydraulically-operated front wheel brakes – another ‘first’ as far as America was concerned. The Model A was current until 1926. A handful of its little-altered successor, the Duesenberg Model X, was made in 1926-1927, but in the former year E.L. Cord of Auburn acquired control of the Duesenberg company. He stipulated that Fred Duesenberg’s next car should be completely new, and a quite exceptional machine. In fact, the Duesenberg Model J, which made its bow at the end of 1928, was the most remarkable automobile in America: bigger, faster, more elaborate and more expensive than any other, yet also superior to them in refinement and good looks. Its 6.9-litre, 8-cylinder engine, made by Lycoming (a firm which Cord had also bought), had two chain-driven overhead camshafts operating four valves per cylinder; a layout of racing type unique among American cars at the time and said to develop 265bhp at 4250rpm – more than double the output of any rival. Although the complete Duesenberg car weighed more than 4980lb, it was claimed to be capable of 116mph in top gear and 89mph in second. Only Duesenberg Model J chassis were made for which $8500 was asked in 1929. Immensely long and strong and lowbuilt, Duesenberg cars were very popular with all the leading coachbuilders. The Duesenberg company preferred to sell cars complete with bodies designed by them but made by approved builders, such as Murphy, Bohman & Schwarts, Judkins, Derham and Le Baron. In this form, catalogued Duesenberg models cost up to $17.950. The transmission – apart form the double dry-plate clutch – was conventional, as was the suspension by half-elliptic springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. The brakes, of course, were hydraulic, with vacuum servo assistance from late 1929.

In 1932 a supercharged version of the Model J, the Duesenberg SJ, was added. To cope with the 320bhp now alleged to be available, bearings, reciprocating parts and valve springs were strengthened. Usually, the shortest Duesenberg J chassis was used, with the highest axle ratio and stronger front springs. A maximum speed of 129mph was attributed to the Duesenberg SJ, with an acceleration figure of 0-100mph in 17 seconds.

Duesenberg survived the Depression, but died in the collapse of the Cord Corporation in 1937. Attempts to revive the Duesenberg name were made in 1947 and in 1966. The first Duesenberg was unsuccessful, and in 1966 only one Duesenberg car was actually made, powered by a 7-litre V8 Chrysler engine with push-rod overhead valves, developing 431bhp at 5.000rpm. Transmission was automatic, front suspension was independent, and there were disc brakes. Body styling was by Ghia. This Duesenberg venture, too, collapsed.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; TRN 

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Hupmobile

US, 1908 – 1940

Hupp Motor Car Corp., Detroit, Mich.; Cleveland, Ohio

Robert and Louis Hupp, the founders of the Hupmobile company, started with a 2.8-litre 4-cylinder light runabout, with two bucket seats and a bolster tank, distinguished by a 2-speed sliding-type gearbox. This Hupmobile car sold for $750 and was joined in 1911 by a Hupmobile touring car with 3 forward speeds and a longer wheelbase of 9ft 2in, listed at only $900. Hupmobile, like Dodge and Chevrolet, adhered to the 4-cylinder sv unit for many years and made nothing else until 1924, though the Hupmobile cars acquired electric lighting and starting in 1914. A Hupmobile car with a 10ft 6in wheelbase was made available for seven-seater bodywork in 1916. Sales were good: 12.000 Hupmobile cars in 1913, and climbing up to 38.000 by 1923. By 1918 a rounded cowl and bonnet line had replaced the original angular configuration and fuel feed was by vacuum from a tank at the rear. Open Hupmobile car models were listed at $1.250. Aluminium pistons were featured in 1924 and balloon tyres on the Hupmobile car in 1925, the last year of the four. Interestingly enough, Hupmobile’s 4-litre straight-8 appeared in 1925, a year before the first six. This Hupmobile car was a conventional machine with contracting Lockheed hydraulic brakes, mechanical actuation being used on the 6-cylinder Hupmobile cars. The Hupmobile car company stayed in the medium-price field, sixes selling at $1.295 in 1929, while prices of the Hupmobile M-series sv eight started at $1.825. In 1929 Chandler’s plant in Cleveland was acquired and was used for the manufacture of the less expensive Huppmobile Hupps. Like most of America’s independent makes, the Hupmobile car company was hit hard by the Depression, sales of Hupmobile cars dropping from 50.374 in 1929 to 17.450 in 1931, although in the next two years, in 1932 and 1933 some very handsome Hupmobile cars were made.

In 1934 the Hupmobile Aerodynamic range with three-piece wrap-around windscreens and headlamps faired into the bonnet sides appeared. An experimental front wheel drive version was not proceeded with. The aerodynamic Hupmobile cars were made in 4-litre, 6-cylinder and 5-litre straight-8 forms, but sales were poor and the Hupmobile car factory closed down halfway through the 1936 season. It was reopened, but the 1937 and 1938 Hupmobile cars were of little interest apart from the standardization of automatic overdrive on the eights. Like Graham, Hupmobile tried to stay in business by adapting the body dies on the discontinued 810/812 Cord series to their conventional running gear. These Hupmobile Skylarks were built in the Graham factory; the last Hupmobile cars were completed in July 1940, but were sold as 1941 models.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com