Duesenberg Twenty Grand replica being auctioned

[Sdude]

I just saw the story on Hemmings about a Duesey 20 grand replica being auctioned off. It's a beautiful car and very well built. They put a Ford V8 with a supercharger in it.

Now, I am not one to complain about modern powerplants in old cars as I have 5.3 GM engines in both my Studebakers. BUT!, a Ford V8 in a Duesenburg should be against the law. A gorgeous car like that should not require the hood to be locked shut to save the embarassment. Where is the imagination? If you want a modern powerplant, you need to put something in it that would look awesome in there. A Lambo V12 or something like that. It needs to be as long as the engine compartment at least.

Hopefully someone can post pictures of the car to show what I mean.

Go ahead and blast me for knocking someone else's work but there should be a line drawn IMHO...

[Andy R.]

Is this the one? http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...d/1332218.html

It seems that for such a specific iconic design (what Duesy isn't?) any number of Brand X I-8 (Buick, Pontiac, etc...) engines would make a better substitution...just keep the President 8s in Studes, please.

One could hope the Ford V8 has a whisper-quiet exhaust to minimize the effect.

[bezhawk]

Now you know how some of us feel about ch**y engines in Studes

[Bob Andrews]

A friend of mine had a 1982(?) Duesenberg SJ Dual Cowl Phaeton. For all the world it looked completely legit except that a close look at the Duesenberg emblem with 'II' added. It had Lincoln underpinnings including the 460 engine and as Andy had hoped, was almost dead silent. I completely adored that car- drove like a late model Lincoln. When he sold it it had about 40K miles on it and was just starting to show a little wear. Had it been possible I would gladly have paid the (I believe) $80K it sold for.

Here's the twin to it:

http://www.auburnspeedsters.com/classifieds_volo_2.htm

[JBOYLE]

The 1984 date for the "20 Grand" replica suggests that Bob is correct, it's a factory-built Duesenberg II with a custom body (IIRC most were the dual cowl phaetons).
All were based on Ford chassis and had Ford V-8s, so it's like an upscale Auburn Boattail speedster replica (Most look okay until you see the interior with modern radios and tilt steering columns, cheesey dashes and transmission selectors).

A friend has one, he was thrilled to get it for under $100K.

The National Automobile Museum in Reno had (has?) one parked in one of their street scenes...when I first saw it, I noted it wasn't roped off so I had a pretty good hunch it wasn't a real Duesenberg.
Sure enough, it was a "II" and the sign said it once beloned to Sammy Davis, Jr.
It made a nice photo prop for visitors...far better than letting the rabble touch a real one.

In related news, the AACA has a division now for "Second Generation" cars.
They just have to be factory built, no matter how horrendousand how far they stray from the original.
So that includes not only interesting efforts like the original Glen Prey sub-scale Cords and cars like the fiberglass Dusey IIs and Auburns, but the "neoclassics" (Zimmer, etc.) that don't represent any real car (remember the Mercury Grand Marquis-based "neoclassic" posted here awhile back?)
Seems real bogus to me to include those.
What's next air-cooled, rear engined Bugatti 35s on a Volkswagen platform?

[Sdude]

Is this the one? http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/...d/1332218.html

That's the one. The picture of the engine is what really disturbed me. It looks like such a great car but under the hood is Yuck! I knew I would take some heat for this post being someone that put Chebbys in my Studes but I think this is far more egregious. At least my motors fill the engine bay completely and look cool in there. This one just looks wrong. I'm not blasting them for putting a modern motor in it, I'm just suggesting that a car of that caliber deserves a far more exotic looking powerplant that looks like it belongs there.

[JBOYLE]

I'm just suggesting that a car of that caliber...

That's just it, it's NOT a car of that caliber.

No Duesenberg frame, a fiberglass body, probably never been to Auburn, Indiana...never been to Indiana.

I'd agree if someone put a Ford V-8 in a Duesenberg...but it's not a Duesenberg (but it can play one on TV).



Having said that, they certainly have a place in the car world.
They're the only affordable way (if you call $100K affordable) for a non-millionaire to drive a Duesenberg..or at least what looks like a Duesenberg.
If I were a huge Duesenberg fan and couldn't aford the real thing, I'd certainly consider one. Rather like me and my Bearcat.

[Bob Andrews]

That's just it, it's NOT a car of that caliber.

No Duesenberg frame, a fiberglass body, probably never been to Auburn, Indiana...never been to Indiana.

I'd agree if someone put a Ford V-8 in a Duesenberg...but its not a Duesenberg (but it can play one on TV).

I agree. No Duesenbergs were harmed in the making of these cars<G> They're just a very nice alternative to those without the money or inclination to buy the real thing. They're a tribute to the car as relates to their artistic value.

I'll never forget my father telling me about the Duesy he and his brothers had as teens in the 40s. They went in together on it (paid $1) and proceeded to beat it mercilessly. It never died. When they got tired of it they DROVE it to the city dump and left it! Till the day he died he lamented that