[Stuart]

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

[JSchmitz]

Amazing! Cool car!

[Tom Vaught]

Very Cool. Thanks Stuart.

Tom V.

[77 TRASHCAN]

I wonder if Jay is trying to buy it...?

[einstein]

Probably not, at 25 built it's not rare enough for Jay.

[muscle_collector]

where was the car?

[Stuart]

I don't know where they found it.

[hurryinhoosier62]

An incredibly rare motor vehicle.

[59safaricat]

Originally Posted by 77 TRASHCAN

I wonder if Jay is trying to buy it...?

Jay already has a couple of 1931 Model J Dusens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtsTSwRTz18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdIKJ80ReiY

[Simple Man]

If you're ever in the area, stop by the ACD museum in Auburn Indiana. Well worth it.

[einstein]

Wife and I visited the ACD Museum between Christmas and New Years 2021 for our anniversary. She loved it and wants to return. Wears her “It’s a Duesy”! long-sleeve T-shirt often. We need to go during the ACD Festival.

Our Duesenberg “brush with greatness” was when we had lived in Arkansas a few years ago, we became acquainted with Doc Elsner. He had a Glen Pray Cord that he sold to Leno. As a kid, his dad, also Doc Elsner of Omaha had owned 3 Duesenbergs over time. He said when he was about 8, dad drove the “envy green” dual cowl phaeton from Omaha to the Pikes Peak hill climb to race a vintage 1908 Buick they towed with the Duesy. He slept on the floor of the back seat while dad drove.

As a kid myself, my dad was acquainted with a restorer/collector who had a 1930 Rollston Victoria. I saw it once about 1971 unfinished. He showed it at Hershey in ‘75 and sold a couple years later. Other than once finding a B&W photo of it on an AACA website (and never found again) I haven’t heard a thing about it since. I believe it was chassis 2389 and don’t recall the engine J number.

There used to be a nearly complete spreadsheet list of these cars on the internet but it’s gone about 20 years. I think the list stated there were 13 of this Rollston body built on Duesies.

[einstein]

Well, some new searching turned up a couple gems. I'm drawn to these cars.

The list: https://www.duesey186.com/Datasheets/ModelJIndex.htm

The Duesey of my youth, restored by my dad's acquaintance John Longo:
https://www.conceptcarz.com/profile/...g-model-j.aspx

The "Envy Green" Derham Tourster, so named by Doc Elsner of Crete Nebraska, who restored it after purchasing in 1956 and owned it 27 years and driving the wheels off it:
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-2470840

[einstein]

After my wife watched video, I mentioned the Glen Pray connection, and that his business is apparently restoring this car.

She found an article discussing how the son Doug Pray revived his dad's business.

It's a great story.

Oklahoma man continues his father's classic car manufacturing legacy
https://www.oklahoman.com/story/busi...y/60543223007/

[ta6point6]

That is my dream I go to a garage sale and find a Formula/Trans Am 455SD under a tarp and the owner just wants it gone and will take 5k for it.
That is one cool car though, at least it was well taken care of. I came across this 47 Nash Ambassador in the junkyard recently, real shame it had no rust what so ever. There are cars still out there like Stuart said

[TAKerry]

The article on the 'barn find Duesenburg' is a bit entertaining. That car was not lost and its wherabouts has been known by those that play in that sandbox. It was just a matter of when it became available. All of the J's are accounted for. There are none yet to be found. These are a tight knit quiet group of automobile enthusiasts that keep to themselves.

[Brock1030]

Would be interesting to hear about the evolution, in terms of what was done to this car. While correctly referenced that all Duesenberg’s were produced as a rolling chassis in 1929 and then later fitted with a body by a body maker of choice by the customer and when delivered, labeled with that delivery year. This car as a 1931 seems to have had fender work from later in the 1930’s to make it appear more contemporary to the time, with the core of the body remaining original to 1931 - not hard to do, as fenders could just be detached, refashioned and then rejoined to the core body. This happened to a number of Duesenberg’s, some of them even rebodied completely, as a new owner perhaps wanted an open car and not the body of the town car.

Beautiful piece though for sure and agreed, most if not all are known to those in that community - amazing, but not surprising with only 400 some cars produced. Still the stuff of fantasy, somewhat like someone selling a 60’s Chevy cheap and a potential buyer finding it not an Impala, but actually a Vette.

Had an instance here in NC, where a friend told me 20 years ago about an old Jag roadster under a tarp in the back of a warehouse, that the elderly owner was wanting to sell to clean out his place. When I inquired on the year, me thinking it maybe an old XKE, my friend said he was told that it was thought to be from the late 1930’s, 1938 to be specific - which, if true, could only be an SS-100! Well, when right away checking it out in person, in fact it was a “‘38”, but only in so much as it one of those VW kit cars hoping to be the real deal.

We can all still dream of uncovering something fabulous, as it can happen, but less and less likely it would seem, as the years roll on. Nonetheless, truly part of the passion that is our great hobby.

[wase]

That's a great car. It will be fantastic to see it out and about again. It represents a prestigious car builder, and rare example of a particular body style.

[TAKerry]

Yes the fenders have been horribly mangled. Going to be a costly restoration but Im sure the new owner will not scoff at the price. An original configured Murphy J is def. one of the most beautiful automobiles ever made.