Duesenberg garage find

They're still out there, waiting to be found...

My cousin restores cars at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Company in Oklahoma. They recently found a 1931 Duesenberg Model J, with a disappearing top body by Murphy, one of 25 built. It's been sitting in a garage not seen by the public for the last 50 years.   A video has been posted showing it getting hauled out of the garage, my cousin is the guy in the blue shirt briefly shown at about 1 minute 30 seconds in:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nIRP9hP9rQ

Those Murphy bodies are stunning. 

The ACD museum had one on loan for a while, they have a good blueprint. 

According to the video it went into hiding in 1967.  That's closer to 60 years FWIW.

That is really cool to see. Thanks for sharing the video!

It's kind of interesting that one of the world's most renowned experts on them is actually Jay Leno.  We all know that he knows a lot about cars but Duesenberg is his area of expertise.  
 

I've actually seen an SJ (J like this but with a blower) in the flesh.  In the basement of the Petersen.  

Numero dos

i want to know more about the house and the neighborhood...

What, that's a duese of a story!

A 401 CJ said:

It's kind of interesting that one of the world's most renowned experts on them is actually Jay Leno.  We all know that he knows a lot about cars but Duesenberg is his area of expertise.  
 

I've actually seen an SJ (J like this but with a blower) in the flesh.  In the basement of the Petersen.  

They only built a few supercharged cars from the factory but there's quite a few running around with reproduction blowers on them.

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

i want to know more about the house and the neighborhood...

I'm guessing they aren't letting that information out, to maintain the privacy of the woman who owned it.

I showed this to my wife and mentioned that my project car hasn't been sitting in the garage for nearly this long. 

She retorted that my car wasn't worth seven figures. 

Every time I drive past a sad looking place with a garage door that hasnt been opened in a decade or 2...theres always a chance something cool is inside.  

When does a car go from "well-known family secret" to "barn find?" It seems like usually barn finds are known, just by a few people who were intimate with the (usually deceased) owner.

Does this mean my grandma's 1940 LaSalle counts? We pulled it out of her garage after she died a couple years back, my grandpa restored it in the early 2000's just before he died and it hadn't moved under its own power in about 15 years.

In reply to AMiataCalledSteve :

those were the days!

You know you're getting old when you read "been in storage for 50 years" and think, "1983, so fairly recent."

AMiataCalledSteve said:

When does a car go from "well-known family secret" to "barn find?" It seems like usually barn finds are known, just by a few people who were intimate with the (usually deceased) owner.

Does this mean my grandma's 1940 LaSalle counts? We pulled it out of her garage after she died a couple years back, my grandpa restored it in the early 2000's just before he died and it hadn't moved under its own power in about 15 years.

Have you ever had a chance to shift that car?.   Nothing I've ever driven shifts as. Nice as that LaSalle  gearbox. ( and yes, I've driven Don Skogmo's Duesenburg) 

In reply to kb58 :

Or when you realize the math is off.

In reply to kb58 :

1973 is 50. 
 

I went into a deusenberg hole after watching that video. Super cool and HOLY CRAP thats a HUGE coupe!

In reply to frenchyd :

Nope, unfortunately the engine is locked up and I was way too young to drive it before it went into storage. I've played around with the shifter though and it does feel very nice. It's in my dad's garage right now but we'll be selling it soon in its "barn find" condition.

We went to the Gilmore Museum a few years ago and there happened to be a show for luxury cars from that era. Lots of Cadillacs, Lincolns. Packards, Rolls-Royces and 13 Duesenbergs. The Duesenbergs are such gorgeous cars.

I remember reading a book on Duesenberg's a lot as a child. Kind of a dream car as a child under the impression what was left were in mueseums. 

I guess prices still make them a dream car lol

In reply to 93gsxturbo :

There always is. 

Growing up, friends of ours had an MGB sitting in the garage–and this was just around the corner from us. 

man only 42 more years until my rx8 is valuable as a barn find... 

jimbob_racing said:

I showed this to my wife and mentioned that my project car hasn't been sitting in the garage for nearly this long. 

She retorted that my car wasn't worth seven figures. 

"Not yet" is the only response.