1929 Duesenberg Model J Cabriolet by Murphy
Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 8, 2013
Well isn’t this a pretty car. This Model J was introduced for 1929 and it used a 265 horsepower Lycoming straight-eight engine of 420 cubic inches (6.9-liters). Top speed was about 115 mph – depending on what body was attached to it.
This one has a gorgeous cabriolet body by the Walter M. Murphy Company of Pasadena, California. It was sold new to a partner in the Standard Oil Company for an astonishing $14,500 in pre-Depression-era American dollars. It passed between a few owners and was restored for the first time in 1957 and again 20 years later and won Best in Show at Pebble Beach in 1981. Shortly after the dawn of the new Millennium, this car was sold to a Belgian collector and it has remained in Europe since. It currently sports Dutch registration.
Duesenbergs pop up often at collector car auctions but finding the right one can be tricky. You surely can’t go wrong with this Murphy Cabriolet. It is expected to sell for between $1,130,000-$1,450,000. Click here for more well-shot pictures and info. And here for more from Artcurial at Rétromobile.
Update: Sold $1,319,888.