Great Cars: DUESENBERG

the world's elite lined up to buy one of the fastest most flamboyant cars at the 1930s the Duesenberg these cars were about romance and living life at the top no other car compared to the Duesenberg it was way ahead of its time some say it was the greatest car ever made in America it was the ultimate classic [Music] at the company descent if Duesenbergs were touted as the world's fastest production automobiles gusenberg was the shining star of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg company these glamorous cars were built in a seemingly unlikely place Auburn Indiana Duesenbergs Art Deco headquarters has been lovingly restored and transformed into one of the most beautiful auto museums in the world it serves as a reminder of the car companies glory days when the whole world knew that Duesenberg meant the best these fabulous cars started out as the dreams of two young farmers from Iowa they came to the United States as children in 1884 with their brothers sisters and widowed mother the two boys Fred and August or Augie Duesenberg discovered that farming on the frontiers in America was different but in German unlike Europe there were vast almost unlimited spaces that could be farmed the only limit to what an individual could accomplish rested on their own abilities not what they'd inherited harnessing the power of machines was the key to transforming this frontier the Duesenberg brothers were inspired by the promise of farm machinery not by farming each brother had a certain skill fred was adept at design and engineering while Augie knew how to build and repair things when the bicycle fad hit in the 1880s the brothers decided to jump on board they opened a shop and began to build and repair bicycles bicycles are fast and they were both drawn by speed fred was an accomplished racer and held a speed record for 14 years Augie also liked the racing scene while bicycles were thrilling a new mechanical Wonder captured their attention automobiles they started out in 1902 by modifying a Marion automobile and racing it at a County Fair in Iowa Fred won and the brothers destiny was set one year later shred had secured a job as a test driver for an upstart automaker Rambler within two years he and Auggie were racing for Mason owned by washing machine magnate senator Maytag they were always hopping up the engines to make them go faster [Music] this led to the development of their own engines next step their own car they entered to comest in the 1914 Indianapolis 500 Eddie Rickenbacker was at the wheel of one he was a racer before he became the world war 1 flying ace he didn't pace this race producin burg finished 10th and 12th finishing was quite an accomplishment most of the cars didn't complete for 200 laps the Duesenberg 80 plus miles per hour performance was impressive the brothers continued to use racing as a way to test their ideas they pioneered overhead camshaft engines superchargers multiple valves per cylinder and other innovations that increased horsepower [Music] unfortunately by 1916 it was clear they couldn't make any money from racing with the solution build other products and use the profits to keep racing [Music] the onset of World War one created demand for engineers and manufacturers [Music] after winning a contract to build aircraft engines the Duesenberg moved to New York [Music] they renovated an old factory in New Jersey and began to produce engines under license from Bugatti [Music] using a garage behind their home they also went to work at creating new engines for auto racing this led to the development of the Duesenberg straight eight cylinder engine it would serve as the platform for all their future engines [Music] running the factory provided them with the experience they need to launch a car company after the war addition Berg's were drawn to the mecca of the automotive world the Indianapolis Motor Speedway they found investors in Indiana who shared their vision to the racing and passenger car company and relocated to Indianapolis they built cars for the track and in 1921 their first road car the Model A or the Duesenberg straight-8 this advanced automobile offered the first mass-produced straight-8 engine and the first four-wheel hydraulic brakes produced in the United States it was the fastest production car on the road at that time racing gave them the knowledge to create lightweight high revving powerful cars with superior handling unfortunately the cars weren't very stylish but people like film star Rudolph Valentino were attracted to these fast high-performance machines as planned the profits from the Model A allowed them to pursue racing [Applause] [Music] in 1921 they took a team of drivers to the French Grand Prix they thought they were sunk when their number one driver Jimmy Murphy was hurt in a practice back way but he had the hospital tape him up and came back to the track to race the determined Murphy piloted his powerful Duesenberg to victory he was the first American to win a European Grand Prix he came in far ahead of a second and third place French entrance [Music] the French team was so incensed by the foreign Victor's wind that they wouldn't acknowledge them at the race awards dinner the unsung team took their trophy and went home [Music] [Applause] ignored in France they turned the wind into an advertising campaign at home [Music] they continued to rack up wins including the 1924 1925 in 1927 Indianapolis 500 while they're racing wins kept them in the headlines they weren't translating into profits their costs exceeded the revenue and the cow business wasn't providing the revenue stream they'd expected after six years on the market sales of the now outdated model a had stored at 650 cars Fred and Augie needed money for a new model but their investors had cleaned out the company and disappeared Duesenberg slid into receivership on October 26 1926 the company was scooped up by E L cord he wanted to use the high-performance car as the foundation for a grand new company cord made his mark in the automobile business selling cars in Chicago he believed he knew what the buyers wanted he plan to combine Duesenberg with another Indiana car maker he'd overhauled or burned Kord had taken 750 Gaudi unsold organs given them new splashy paint jobs complete with pinstripes and sewed them he reinvested the proceeds transforming Auburn into an exciting and profitable company the fast Auburn boattail speedsters became icons sought by Hollywood stars and wealthy young socialite it wasn't a very practical car but he was sexy and when it flew by it burnt ends [Music] with Orban under his belt cord was confident but he could work the same magic with Duesenberg never short of hyperbole he vowed to make it the best car in the world he enlisted the help of Fred Duesenberg to create the biggest fastest most expensive car ever built as work proceeded on the revamped Duesenberg cord instructed the engineers to develop a car named after himself the first production car to offer front-wheel drive the l-29 Accord he wanted a car line that would fill the price niche between Orban and Duesenberg but he wanted it to stand out to front-wheel drive allowed it to be lower than any other car on the road it gave the cord a sporty yet elegant look [Music] the Marx Brothers and others flocked to this trend-setting car when it was introduced in 1929 but the Orban's and the l-29 would be overshadowed by the Duesenbergs [Music] the first model J Duesenberg rolled out in 1928 it's high horsepower engine made it one of the fastest cars on the road it is also expensive in an era when a standard Ford cost four hundred and fifty dollars an average Duesenberg might cost thirteen to fifteen thousand dollars [Music] buyers would usually order just an engine and rolling chassis from the factory they turned this over to a custom body builder to create the most flamboyant cars ever seen these attention-getting cars spawned a turn it's a doozy they were when Wall Street crashed cord had to scramble to keep his over-the-top car company afloat selling Duesenberg during the early dark days of the Depression was a challenge but cord was confident his cars would find buyers [Music] with millions out of work selling apples on street corners and living in shanties there were people who thought buying such a car was in bad taste but some of the ultra-rich didn't seem to care they bought Duesenberg [Music] this select group made Duesenberg at top status symbol cord was so certain of his cars appeal he didn't even show the product in advertising [Music] while kings queens princes and the Lords of the business world bought Duesenbergs they also found fans among Hollywood royalty the Stars stars like Tyrone Power Clark Gable and Gary Cooper as well as directors producers and other Hollywood luminaries kept the company solvent Gary Cooper and Clark Gable were set to race their Duesenberg roadsters down Sunset Boulevard this notoriety pumped up the Duesenberg image Kord realized that star power was important for his company's continued health he was an early believer in product placement he made sure that his cars were available for photoshoots and would be seen in movies like today's marketers he paid stars such as James Cagney a promotional fee to pose with a Duesenberg others like candy bar heiress Ethel Mars were happy to own a Duesenberg she was joined by the witness and a chewing gum King PK Wrigley these fast cars could be useful Spain's King Alfonso was able to outrun Franco's henchmen when he fled the country in his powerful Duesenberg others like one Maharaja who moved to the United States just fell in love with driving his Duesenberg he had a streamlined new roadster built to complement his new home the most expensive Duesenberg ever produced was called the 20 grand this exquisite car was fitted with a custom body that cost about twelve thousand dollars it wrote on the standard Duesenberg chassis that netted another $8,500 to the total at the time $20,000 was an unheard-of sum to pay today this car is worth millions many of the custom Duesenberg that were built have soared into the car auction price stratosphere like of the original buyers many Duesenberg collectors are fond of the supercharged models the so-called s J's were capable of propelling these three ton automobiles down the road at over 100 miles per hour [Music] this speed maid Duesenbergs one of the fastest production cars in the world but while capable of escaping from the clutches of pursuing armies these cars couldn't outrun the impact of the depression [Music] thus our economy eventually eroded the demand for custom coachbuilt high end automobiles like the Duesenberg Kord hatched a plan to keep his automotive Empire alive he started work on a brand new futuristic car the chord 810 [Music] a talented young stylist Gordon burek was commissioned to come up with a modern design that would appeal to young people who wanted something fresh Fred Duesenberg had died on burek turned to Auggie to help him create a car that could save the company [Music] the company was in dire straits and the team had very little research and development money they had even less time to demonstrate that there was still a viable business they had to have a hundred cars ready for the 1935 New York Auto Show [Music] this meant months of all-night work often unpaid to hand build the cars in time he L cord didn't share his employees hardships he was holed up in in burned to avoid the grasp of the United States securities regulators he'd been accused of stock manipulation some believe he invested a couple of million dollars in the court a ten project to demonstrate that the company was viable and so pump up the stock price once the stock at peat he would sell his shares and move on we don't know if burek was aware that he was a pawn in cord stock game or if he was he didn't let it get in the way his front wheel drive court 8:10 was hailed as an instant classic people say it's perfectly proportioned he'd made sure it looked good from any [Music] [Music] the new cord transformed the design of all automobiles taking the courts lead radiator shells would disappear as wood running boards fenders would flow as an integral part of the body and not be a separate structure [Music] this timeless design is considered to be one of the most important milestones in automotive style Gordan burek accord it rolling scholarship [Music] unfortunately the cars stunning good looks couldn't keep the company afloat by 1937 Auburn Cord and Duesenberg had stopped building new cars [Music] the last chasis were sold off and the factory closed during the eight years Duesenberg was the king of automobiles only 481 cars have been built this was what court had promised to produce every year [Music] nearly 378 can still be accounted for an indication of how valued these cars are today but it wasn't until after World War Two that most people recognized the importance of these cars today collectors like Jay Leno have become devoted admirers of the path or Duesenbergs these are cars that constantly when prices are the most prestigious collector commies and fetch millions of dollars at auctions a savvy collector could have snapped one up after the war for as little as $100 classic cars by the mid 1950s including Duesenbergs started to gain favor with a few pioneer collectors restoring one of these cars was quite a challenge today there are several experts such as Randy Hema in California who can help collectors with the difficult process of restoring a classic new Sandberg EEMA has a collection of original blueprints that allows him to rebuild nearly any part to factory specifications this process isn't cheap but the results are spectacular [Music] the Auburn Cord Duesenberg company disappeared but the cars that resulted were timeless works of automotive parts these machines will thrill the world for years to come owners today know but they are just caretakers preserving in beautiful works for future generations these fabulous cars are a reminder that what can happen when dreams turn into reality [Applause] [Music]

Channel: King Rose Archives

Views: 281,862

Rating: 4.8659496 out of 5

Keywords: Duesenberg brothers, Indianapolis 550, LeMans winner, luxury cars, Cord, Auburn, E. L. Cord

Id: Lb-bhhUyrQc

Length: 25min 7sec (1507 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 25 2017