Clark Gable's Duesenberg!

[EssexExport]

Expect the unexpected at a car show.

[EssexExport]

[EssexExport]

[Gunslinger]

Great piece of American automobile history with a great story. While often forgotten or even unknown by the current generation, Gable was a giant of his time. He was often and accurately described as the man all women wanted and all men wanted to be.

[paintim613]

Great piece of American automobile history with a great story. While often forgotten or even unknown by the current generation, Gable was a giant of his time. He was often and accurately described as the man all women wanted and all men wanted to be.

Gable frequently came to Yuma to hunt dove and I once saw him up close on the first day of the season in a local retaurant in about 1960.

[Son O Lark]

Didn't Gary Cooper have the only other J Roadster made by Duesenberg? Somewhere I thought I read they were on loan to Gable And Cooper!?

[Gunslinger]

Yes...Gable and Cooper had the only two of that model made. I've read that Gable owned his and also that it was loaned to him. Gable was a notorious skinflint so it may have been loaned to him. I've also read that one of them (don't remember which) specified the car to be one foot longer than the other guy's. True or not...Hollywood fact or fiction...don't know. Anything to do with Tinseltown has to be taken with a healthy skepticism as far as accuracy goes.

[avantilover]

Nice photo and car, shame they spelt cord's name wrong - it was Errett, not Eric.

[JBOYLE]

There seems to be some confusion here.
Gable, as might be expected of "the King of Hollywood" had two Duesenbergs.

These photos show Gable's owned Duesenberg; a Rollston-bodied (but customized by Bohman and Schwartz as soon as he got it) convertible coupe, chassis serial 2585, engine J-560.
It is NOT the more famous (and better looking) "SSJ" of which Gary Cooper had the other one. Most Duesenberg books say Gable did not own the SSJ, it was just loaned to him....and delivered to him at the completion of filming "Mutiny on the Bounty" by Cord's son who was working as a "gofer" at the local Duesenberg dealer.

People have been getting this car confused with the SSJ for years.
Gable's SSJ (serial 2595, J-567) is currently in Red/Gray colors.
Cooper's SSJ (serial 2594, J-563) was owned by him and is in two-tone gray. Both cars have custom 125" wheelbases and were bodied by La Grande.

Photos of the SSJs together are here:

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/img/13362/Duesenberg-SSJ-LaGrande-Roadster.html

[Bob Bryant]

Miles Collier is the founder and benefactor of the Rev's Institute which has a 1935 Duesenberg SSJ short-chassis auto which is described as having been Clark Gable's car. I have seen the car several times and it is pristine like all of the cars in the museum. The Collier Collection was closed to the public several years ago and will soon be open again as part of the Revs Institute. It is recommended that any car buff who is in the Naples area visit the collection which has been described as being one of the best auto museums in the country. The Revs Institute has a collaborative effort with Stanford.

http://revsinstitute.org/

The website is very interesting and informative.

[Packard53]

I had a chance several years ago to take a private tour the Collier Museum and I to have also seen the Gable SSJ first hand. If my memory severs me correctly at the time I was there they also had on display the Cooper's SSJ. La Grande was the custom body building division of the Cord automotive empire. Bohman and Schwartz took over the remains of the Murphy Company which built over half of all the custom bodies that sit on Duesenberg chassis. The motors for the Gable and Cooper SSJ cars were built at Lycoming Motors in my home town of Williamsport Penna.

La Grande built 14 custom bodies that sit on Duesenberg chassis

Gary Cooper also owed a second Dusenberg car 2425 J-421 . The custom body for this car was built by Derham which was located in Rosemont Penna.
John S.

[t walgamuth]

It kindof reminds me of a locomotive, aesthetically.

[Mike]

It kindof reminds me of a locomotive, aesthetically.

I've seen the two "SSJ" Duesenberg's referred to as "Spyders", (or Spiders), in print! That coach building term originally meant a very light weight, four wheeled, horse drawn, rig; built for speed. I usually think of Porsche Spyders, which were special light weight race cars, when someone says Spyder. The "SSJ's" are behemoths by comparison.
However, if you look closely, there is considerable weight saving. The "SSJ's" are roadsters, with side curtains rather than wind up windows. There is no trunk lid; which means no inner panel or framing. There are no side mount spare tires or their mounts, wells, and covers; just a single spare at the rear. Some of the driving lights usually seen on "J" models are absent. Finally, because they are shorter, there is less car there.
Both cars had the rams horn intake manifolds and dual carbs. That made them produce more than 400 hp, considerably better than a normal "SJ".
Of the two, Gary Cooper's, two tone gray car, with black wall tires, is my favorite.
Mike M.