1933 Greta Garbo's Duesenberg J Victoria 02
1933 Greta Garbo's Duesenberg J Victoria 02
Duesenbergs represented the finest in American cars,often the car of choice among the Hollywood elite.
The Duesenberg Model J is a luxury automobile made by Duesenberg. Intended to compete with the most luxurious and powerful cars in the world, it was introduced in 1928, the year before the stock market crash that led to the Great Depression. The Model J, available with a supercharger after 1932, was sold until 1937.
Backgound of Duesenberg :
E. L. Cord, the owner of Auburn Automobile, and other transportation firms, bought the Duesenberg Motor Corporation on October 26, 1926 for the brothers' engineering skills, talent and brand name. He intended to produce a car to rival the size, power, and luxury of top European brands such as Hispano-Suiza and Rolls-Royce.
The newly revived Duesenberg company set about to produce the Model J, which debuted December 1 at the New York Car Show of 1928. In Europe, it was launched at the "Salon de l'automobile de Paris" of 1929. The first and — at the time of the New York presentation — only example made of the series, the J-101, was a LeBaron sweep panel dual cowl phaeton, finished in silver and black. By the time the Great Depression hit in October 1929, the Duesenberg Company had only built some 200 cars. An additional 100 orders were filled in 1930. Thus, the Model J fell short of the original goal to sell 500 cars a year
Specifications:
The straight eight model J motor was based on the company's successful racing engines of the 1920s and though designed by Duesenberg they were manufactured by Lycoming, another company owned by Cord. In normally aspirated form, it produced 265 horsepower (198 kW) from dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. It was capable of a top speed of 119 mph (192 km/h), and 94 mph (151 km/h) in 2nd gear. Other cars featured a bigger engine but none of them surpassed its power. It was also both the fastest and most expensive American automobile on the market.
Design & costs:
As was common practice among the luxury car brands, only the chassis and engine were displayed; the body and interior trim of the car would be custom-made by a third-party coachbuilder to the owner's specifications.
The chassis cost $8,500 ($9,500 after 1932). At a time when the average U.S. physician earned less than $3,000 a year, most completed vehicles fell between $13,000 and $19,000, with two American-bodied J's reaching $25,000. Figures for prices charged by deluxe coachbuilders in Europe are not available, but it is possible they were even higher than the more costly American built models.
The J was generally available with either with a short 142.5 in (3.62 m) wheelbase chassis or long 153.5 in (3.90 m)).[11] Special orders included two SSJs shortened to 125 in (3.18 m) and a few extended to 160 in (4.06 m) and over.
The dash included mechanically timed lights that reminded the driver when to change the oil and inspect the battery.[15]
Most engine and chassis were made in 1929 and 1930, but due to the Depression, high price, etc., ended up sold and bodied throughout subsequent years. Thus the year for a given Model J usually refers to the latter.
Supercharged versions
A Duesenberg marketing slogan was, "The only car that could pass a Duesenberg was another Duesenberg—and that was with the first owner's consent."
Reinforcing this claim was the powerful 320 hp (239 kW) supercharged "SJ" model Developed on the 142.5 in (362 cm) wheelbase by Fred Duesenberg and introduced in May 1932. It reputed to be capable of 104 miles per hour (167 km/h) in second gear and have a top speed of 135–140 mph (217–225 km/h) in third. Zero-to-60 mph (97 km/h) times of around eight seconds and 0–100 mph (0–161 km/h) in 17 seconds were reported for the SJ in spite of the unsynchronized transmissions, at a time when even the best cars of the era were not likely to reach 100 mph (160 km/h). Duesenbergs generally weighed around two and a half tons; up to three tons was not unusual, considering the wide array of custom coachwork available.
Legacy :
Duesenberg ceased production in 1937 after Cord's financial empire collapsed.Duesenberg became far less popular during World War II, and by 1941 to 1942, used specimens were abundant and cheap, with advertised prices averaging around $700 for the cars in excellent condition.Business rebounded in the 1950s, when classic and vintage cars became popular among collectors. Several Model Js were advertised in The New York Times in the fall of 1950, at prices as low as $500, though an exceptional restored example could exceed $2,000 which was still within the reach of the average working American.
In 2018 a Duesenberg SSJ that was formerly owned by Gary Cooper was sold at auction for $22 million. This made it the most expensive American car ever sold.
About Greta Garbo Masterpiece :
A bold statement of luxury and grand touring, this custom-bodied Duesenberg was the hit of the Paris Salon when it first appeared in 1932.
Trimmed with high-contrasting ivory interior against royal metallic luster red paint, this stunning Duesenberg is the pinnacle of automotive art and fashion.
As with all great cars, there are always great stories. For Duesenberg, there are not only great stories but personalities associated with one of the finest automobiles of the 20th century. These stories remind us of the magnificence of the designers, builders and patrons of these fine cars.
In 1932, all of France was stunned as the special-bodied Fernandez and Darrin Duesenberg appeared at the Paris Salon. Fernandez had been a well-known coachbuilder with European designs to his credit, and Howard "Dutch" Darrin had made significant inroads in both U.S. and European markets with his firm, Hibbard and Darrin. In 1931, Darrin dissolved his partnership with Hibbard and began working with Fernandez.
One of their first major European contributions to the world of coachbuilt automobiles was built on a stunning, long-wheelbase 1932 Duesenberg Model J chassis. Resplendent in metallic red with contrasting ivory interior trim and featuring an elegant three-position landau roof, this Duesenberg would later be made in two (perhaps three) otherconfigurations from 1932 through 1933.
At some point in the history of these rare cars, a two-toned blue and black car became attributed to movie star Greta Garbo. Although she persisted in denying this, the legend of the Garbo Duesenberg continued as part of the mystique of this illusive actress. Some speculated that her denial of the car was due in part to not wanting to be recognized as she was driven in it. The Garbo mystery could very well be due in part to her friendship with French film star Suzy Vernon, who owned and was pictured many times with the blue and black Model J Duesenberg known as the "Garbo." Some speculate that this is how the legend began.
Today, both cars are regarded as some of the finest coachbuilt cars ever built upon a Duesenberg chassis. The original Paris Salon car has been fully restored to original condition and is currently in a private collection. 1933 Duesenberg J Victoria 1933 Duesenberg J Victoria The most glamorous Duesenberg ever. Only two were created