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 

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

Imperia

B, 1906 – 1949

(1) Automobiles Imperia, Liège, Nessonvaux, 1906 – 1929

(2) SA des Automobiles Imperia-Excelsior, Nessonvaux, 1929 – 1949

The first Imperia cars were the work of the German Paul Henze, who himself handled an 8-litre car in the 1907 Kaiserpreis. At first only a Imperia 24/30hp four of 4.9-litres was marketed with low tension magneto and coil-ignition, 4-speed gearbox, and shaft or side-chain drive. The smaller 3-litre Imperia car that followed was shaft-driven, and a 1.767cc monobloc four arrived during 1909. As late as 1911 an immense, Kaiserpreis-inspired chain-driven 9.9-litre 50/60 Imperia car was still offered. In 1912 Imperia cars merged with Springuel, but though the latter name soon vanished, Jules Springuel took over the management, and some Springuel designs were sold under the Imperia car companies name. In 1914 Imperia cars in a range of conventional, well-made small volume fours, of 1.8-litres, 2.6-litres, 3.6-litres and 5-litres was offered.

In 1919 the Imperia car company took over the manufacture of the Spanish Abadal (this had always had a substantial Belgium content), offering both a 3-litre Imperia Type E, and the Hispano-Suiza-like 80x180mm 3.6-litre Imperia Type T, complete with handsome V-radiator as found on subsequent Imperias. These Imperia cars were made in small numbers until 1922, though a 6-litre twin-carburettor sohc Imperia-Abadal straight-9 with Perrot fwb on a 12ft wheelbase never progressed beyond the prototype stage. Equally short-lived Imperia car, was a promosing sports car, the long-stroke 16-valve ohc 4-cylinder 3-litre with which de Tornaco won the 1922 Belgium GP. In 1923 M.A. van Roggen, now in charge at Nessonvaux, came up with his side-valve 1.100cc 6CV Imperia car, a small tourer of Panhard-like appearance, but with an unusual servo-assisted foot transmission brake – brakes on the front wheels were standardized in 1925 on Imperia cars. This Imperia car was quite successful, winning the small-car class of the 1926 Monte Carlo Rally and selling 504 Imperia cars in 1927, but Van Roggen’s ‘empire-building’ did not prosper: plans to produce 6CVs in France (at the Voisin works) and at the British GWL factory proved abortive. The 1928 Imperia car season brought a companion 1.642cc six, later enlarged to 1.8-litres and available in 3-carburettor sporting form, and in this period Imperia cars acquired Excelsior, Nagant (who were converted to making 6-cylinder engines), and the Matthys et Osy coachbuilding works. The slide-valve Imperia car models survived until 1934, acquiring hydraulic brakes at the end, but in 1934 Imperia took out a licence to build fwd Adlers, and until 1940 these were their staple; the 995cc Trumpf-Junior, the 1.645cc Trumpf, and the later Zweiliter were all made. In 1935 the Imperia car company fused with the only other surviving Belgian private-car maker, Minerva, and the big sleeve-valve models from Antwerp disappeared for good.

In 1947 there was a brief revival by Imperia cars with the Imperia TA8, a synthesis of pre-World War 2 fwd models by Adler and Amilcar, powered by the 1.340cc ohv 4-cylinder engine used in 1940 Amilcars. Features of this Imperia car were fravity feed, hydraulic brakes, a 3-speed gearbox with dashboard change, and composite wood and metal coachwork. 

D, 1935

Imperia-Werk AG, Bad Godesberg

The German Imperia factory, well-known for its motorcycles, had already experimented with Imperia cars in 1924/ 1925, but production on a limited scale of Imperia cars was not started until 1935. A 3-cylinder 2-stroke 750cc radial engine mounted in the rear of the Imperia car was used for a streamlined two-seater coupé and for a small monoposto racing Imperia car, both with independent wheel suspension. Financial difficulties stopped production of Imperia cars at an early stage.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS, HON

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