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Orphan of the Day, 03-10, 1937 Duesenberg Model J

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  • Orphan of the Day, 03-10, 1937 Duesenberg Model J



    Craig

  • #2
    Father Divine's car! I've only seen period photos of it. My first car book (now 40 years old..eek!), it reported that the car was still owned by his church, so I thought it was still locked up somewhere.
    63 Avanti R1 2788
    1914 Stutz Bearcat
    (George Barris replica)

    Washington State

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    • #3
      Wanna commit suicide the hard way? Take a Duesey and fit it with a Corvette LS engine and take it to a Duesenburg event. You'll never get out of there alive....
      Jon Stalnaker
      Karel Staple Chapter SDC

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      • #4
        Wow! Every Duesenberg I've ever seen just exudes Class with a capital C. What magnificent autos!
        Thanks for posting that terrific photo.
        Rog
        '59 Lark VI Regal Hardtop
        Smithtown,NY
        Recording Secretary, Long Island Studebaker Club

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        • #5
          Why would you desicrate something that exudes class and replace it with something that just exudes (excretes is more apt terminology)
          Originally posted by Sdude View Post
          Wanna commit suicide the hard way? Take a Duesey and fit it with a Corvette LS engine and take it to a Duesenburg event. You'll never get out of there alive....
          Bez Auto Alchemy
          573-318-8948
          http://bezautoalchemy.com


          "Don't believe every internet quote" Abe Lincoln

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          • #6
            Many years ago I saw the car in the collection at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas. It is a mammoth vehicle and has a history of wheel breakage because of its excessive weight.
            "Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional." author unknown

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            • #7
              Was "Father Devine" some sort of preacher? Hmmm I'd be pissed if I thithed to that church! It's like you pastor driving up in a Bugatti Veryon today!!!! poor lack of judgment.
              Bez Auto Alchemy
              573-318-8948
              http://bezautoalchemy.com


              "Don't believe every internet quote" Abe Lincoln

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              • #8
                Brad Johnson,
                SDC since 1975, ASC since 1990
                Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
                '33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight. '53 Commander Starlight
                '56 Sky Hawk in process

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by bezhawk View Post
                  Why would you desicrate something that exudes class and replace it with something that just exudes (excretes is more apt terminology)
                  Why indeed...... There are many forum members that will fuss about putting an SBC in a Studebaker. I'm not one of them. However, doing such a thing to a Duesenburg should be against the law. After all, weren't the engines the best part of those cars?
                  Jon Stalnaker
                  Karel Staple Chapter SDC

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                  • #10
                    Fred and August Duesenberg designed the chassis for vehicles to race on the open oval circuit; had the engines built by Lycoming to their specs. For that base, a buyer would pay something in the vicinity of $11,000. Then, it would go to a coach-builder for the body (another 10-20K).
                    At a time when you could purchase a new Ford, Chevy or Rockne for $600, the discriminating Duesenberg owner could invest upwards of $25,000 to own the most luxurious race car in the world. The Model SJ could do 104 mph in second gear!
                    Of course, if you could afford that, you wouldn't be caught dead in one more than a couple years old.
                    In the late forties through the fifties, these used luxury cars could be had for not much more than we would pay for a tattered '60 Lark VI two door sedan today.
                    How times have changed!
                    Last edited by rockne10; 03-10-2011, 07:21 PM.
                    Brad Johnson,
                    SDC since 1975, ASC since 1990
                    Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
                    '33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight. '53 Commander Starlight
                    '56 Sky Hawk in process

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Major Jealous Divine...how did SDC miss out on him? He seems like such a fundamentally Studebaker kind of a guy.

                      Someone will know the name of the early Duesenberg collector who had many cars at the ACD Museum in the 80's (supposedly, to keep from having to pay the insurance on their new-found value). He was a truck driver, and watched for them for sale along the road as he traveled. He bought quite a few for 1 or 2 thousand dollars.

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                      • #12
                        From the archives #59 (1956 tractor trailer)

                        "Homer Fitterling had owned Clay Utilities and a trucking company along with several other ventures. He supposedly had around 150 cars. I never counted them, but he had many and his out-buildings were full and a few were outside. One Duesenberg had longhorn steer horns mounted above the grill and pistol holsters were used as door pulls on the inside. It had been built for Tom Mix or some other western star. In the 70's it seemed like the majority of the of the Duesenbergs in the ACD Museum were cars Homer had loaned for display. Mrs. Fitterling's car in that era was a rather compact Lincoln sedan that was cut just ahead of the windshield and maybe 18 to 24" inches was added, so the car had a long front section. I was told that his truck drivers had been alerted to also be aware of possible cars for acquisition as they traveled around the country. On one occasion he pointed at a metal body tub that was waiting to be joined to Duesenberg chassis he had. He said it had cost $30,000 in the dollars of that day and had just arrived from California."

                        This from a prior posting about Homer Fitterling and his collection. There were several about him at that time. His Duesenbergs are scattered about the country now. Google "Father Divine and Duesenberg" and there are other articles, etc., about him and his car.

                        In the early 50's I was in Fort Wayne at a car show and I saw my first Duesenberg. The owner had a "wheelworks shop" as it was called. He said he had purchased the gorgeous two-tone green Model J Duesy for $3,000 and then restored it. He was proud that he had been offered $30,000 for it!
                        Last edited by Bob Bryant; 03-10-2011, 08:59 PM.
                        "Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional." author unknown

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Sdude View Post
                          Why indeed...... There are many forum members that will fuss about putting an SBC in a Studebaker. I'm not one of them. However, doing such a thing to a Duesenburg should be against the law. After all, weren't the engines the best part of those cars?
                          Yes, the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas had a whole room devoted to nothing but the Duesenburg Automobile with displays and stories that were most informative. I learned the engine for said automobile was very inefficient for its size (cubic inches) although it did make a certain sound as one would drive away........"It's a Duesey"
                          JimsLeadCommander

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                          • #14
                            Hi

                            Oh No! Father Divine's Duesenberg Bus! The posterchild for how the combination of money and custom coachbuilding can go horribly, hideously wrong!

                            Steve

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                            • #15
                              You may enjoy this brief video about the Duesenberg and the ACD Museum. The car is decribed by the narrator as being
                              "way ahead of its time." Does that sound familiar?

                              From the PBS series Great Cars. The ultimate, the top, the crème de la crème -- the builders of the Duesenberg defied the odds and entered the Depression era...
                              Last edited by Bob Bryant; 03-12-2011, 08:10 AM.
                              "Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional." author unknown

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