Pic-A-Day (621) Albert Mach Fine Art
1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Sedan

My friend Nathan Osmun-Tanner wrote:
The Model J was the replacement for the Model A Duesenberg which was made while the company was controlled by brothers Fred and August Duesenberg whose interest was designing and building cars for racing. Although the Model A was an excellent car the business plan was failing. Duesenberg was going into receivership and as a result E. L. Cord purchased Duesenberg in October of 1926.
Under Cord’s direction Fred Duesenberg was given the charge to develop the Model J. Cord’s intent was to make an impact on the world by producing an automobile of unparalleled performance and prestige. With a plan to limit the Model J to 500 chassis a year the stock market crash in 1929 soon changed the Model J total production to only approximately 481 chassis. Selling the Model J during the depression was a difficult task. With a starting price of $8,400 (roughly $117,000 today when adjusted for inflation perusinflationcalculator.com) for the Model J chassis alone (frame, engine, transmission, axles) plus the cost of having a coach built there were few customers with that level of funds.
The power of the Model J was certainly impressive. The Lycoming built inline 8 cylinder with a displacement of 420 cubic inches (6.9L) produced an advertised 235 horsepower with only a 5:1 compression ratio. The engine design has dual overhead camshafts operating two intake valves and 2 exhaust valves per cylinder. This is at a time when automobiles with less than half of this horsepower were impressive and not found in cars that the average person would own.
This Model J is identified as J-200 which is the engine number and 2223 which is the chassis number stamped onto the front of the frame. The body is a roadster style which was built by Walter M. Murphy Company of Pasadena, California. This roadster type is one that is not a disappearing top. This means the top simply folds down on top of the body when lowered. In contrast the disappearing top roadsters have a compartment located behind the seat for the top to disappear when lowered. Coaches built by Murphy are common as they produced approximately 25% of the coaches found on Model J’s. Besides the powerful engine some of the other features of the Model J are the skid control for the brakes which is a predecessor to anti-lock brakes (the control for this is located on the dash directly above the steering column), a Bijur lubrication system which automatically lubricates the chassis, and a mileage driven indicator light system on the dash which would inform the driver to address maintenance items such as checking battery level, changing engine oil, and refilling the Bijur lubrication system. This Model J also features the early honey comb radiator without the more commonly found shutters in front of the radiator to help control engine temperature in cold weather.
The reported full price of this Model J with its Murphy coach is $15,000 in 1929. Adjusting for inflation per usinflationcalculator.com that price today would be $208,800. This Duesenberg is on loan by the Museum of Science and Industry of Chicago, Illinois.
This was seen at the Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, IN.
http://www.automobilemuseum.org/