The Model J, launched in 1928, was based on a straight-eight engine that produced 265 horsepower. It features a dual overhead camshaft and four valves per cylinder. The top speed was close to 120 miles per hour. This was indeed the most expensive and fastest American automobile on the market.

Once an owner selected the car (the chassis alone cost approximately $8,500), they could choose from a number of different body builders including Derham, Judkins, LeBaron, Murphy, Walker, and others, including Rollston. Carriage making was an art and many companies were transitioning from carriage making to automotive body building.

This car, J-490 is a very rare design that was originally destined to be a convertible, but the customer later decided he preferred the Victoria Coupe. In European parlance this car might be called a Faux Cabriolet, as the padded top is designed to have the look of an open car. The result is an exceptionally handsome closed 4-passenger or Victoria coupe with a 1/4 window in the top to give rear passengers greater outward visibility.

The Duesenberg was one of the most popular luxury cars as well as a status symbol in the United States and Europe, and was driven by the nobility, the rich and the famous, including Al Capone, Greta Garbo, Howard Hughes, Mae West, Clark Gable, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, William Randolph Hearst and the Duke of Windsor.

Throughout the golden age, classic cars were seen as a luxury item that only the most rich and famous could afford. A huge part of living a successful life was driving something that looks the part, so alongside Hollywood stars came their cars.

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