Mystery Friday Foto #13 Solved: A Winning Pair of Duesenbergs
Did you identify this race-winning Duesenberg race team?
Identify;
- The location
The Duesenberg factory. In 1920, emboldened by success in manufacturing marine and racing engines, brothers Frederick and August Duesenberg relocated their New Jersey manufacturing facility to Indianapolis, Indiana. Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company operated on 17 acres at 1511 West Washington Street from 1920 to 1937.
- Year
1921
- The race car make
The 1921 Duesenberg race team.
- What race did this team historically win and what made it historic? Hint: It was not the Vanderbilt Cup Races.
These two racers were built and prepped for the 1921 French Grand Prix. Driver Jimmy Murphy won the French Grand Prix in one of the two racers. It was a historic win, (and shocking to the Europeans) as this was the first time an American car won a European International race. While NOT the Vanderbilt Cup races, there is a link here to the Vanderbilt Cup Races. George Robertson, winner of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race, driving the 'Old 16' Locomobile, was in charge of the 4-car Duesenberg team for the 1921 French Grand Prix.
- Kudos- identify the two gentlemen in white shirts in the doorway
Fred (left) and August (right) Duesenberg.
Comments (1)
There's no stumping Steve Lucas! Congrats and Kudos Steve!
Greg O.
The unedited version of the photo with all the Duesenberg branding in the photo.
Photo Credit: ACD Automobile Museum
Close-ups
August (left) and Fred (Right) Duesenberg in the 1920's.
Photo Credit: ACD Automobile Museum
The 2nd floor Duesenberg Race Shop located just across the street from the automobile factory above the Thompson Pattern Shop.
Photo Credit: ACD Automobile Museum
Winning driver Jimmy Murphy and mechanic Ernie Olsen just after winning the 1921 French Grand Prix. Murphy bought the damaged car after the race. He went on to repair the car, swap the Duesenberg engine for a Miller engine and subsequently entered, and won the 1922 Indy 500 with the car.
In the 1922 Indy 500, Duesenberg-built cars were so dominant that they took seven of the top ten finishing positions.
Photo Credit: ACD Automobile Museum
Unknown 1921 magazine photo
In 2014, the last remaining building from the Duesenberg factory at 1511 West Washington Street, Indianapolis had the exterior sign from the former factory restored followed by a small celebration event. The building is now part of the headquarters for the IndyGo Bus Company.
Coincidently, during the celebration event, a former owner of Howard Kroplick's 1930 Duesenberg Model J had the car on hand for the celebration.
The Peter Helck Archives
As with all things racing, Peter Helck had a fairly extensive file in his archives about the 1921 French Grand Prix including this in depth article in the December, 1979 issue of Car Collector magazine.
Note; the photo is reversed in the original copy.
Even into the 1960's Helck had some issues with the mechanical state of the car that finished the race. He contacted some of his magazine reporter friends to inquire.
The 1921 Duesenberg 183 at the Simeone Auto Museum
Comments
The photo was taken in front of the Duesenberg factory in Indianapolis, IN in 1921. The Duesenberg racing team had recently won the 1921 French Gran Prix making it the first American team to do so. Jimmy Murphy was the winning driver. The two men in the white shirts are the Duesenberg brothers. I believe that’s Fredrrick on the left with August on the right.
It’s worth noting that the Duesenbergs in the French GP were using four-wheel hydraulic brakes and had a significant advantage over the rest of the field with their old-school mechanical brakes.