Vanderbilt Cup Races

A- Gary Cooper

Gary Cooper's 1929 Duesenberg Model J-431 Derham Tourster. The chassis of the vehicle was assembled at the Duesenberg Indianapolis factory in 1928, with a J-403 engine. It would remain in the factory inventory until 1930 when it was shipped to the Derham Body Co. in Philadelphia. Derham fitted a body on the chassis that was designed by Gordon Buehrig, and was initially built with a green ostrich leather interior. It was then sent to Chicago to be shown as the Duesenberg show car at the 1931 Chicago Auto Salon, held in October of 1930. Gary Cooper was in attendance and fell in love with the Duesenberg. When it arrived a short time later at the Los Angeles Auto Salon, Cooper bought it for $15,000. Before he took delivery, the engine failed. Duesenberg replaced it with a more modern J-431 engine. Cooper would then use the car to race fellow celebrities on the Mojave Dessert. Almost sacrilegiously, he removed the fenders, spare tires, trunk, bumpers, headlights, and running boards. This was done to shed excess weight. In 1932, Cooper sent the car back to the Los Angeles branch of Duesenberg to have the vehicle restyled. He would send it back again in 1935. At that time, a short wheelbase SJ-563 Roadster was on display in the showroom. Cooper decided against restyling (again) the J-431 and traded it in on the 1935 SSJ-563. He gave them his old Duesenberg plus $5000. The only other SSJ built was sold to his friend Clark Gable. Since 1935, Cooper's 1929 Duesenberg has been with several collectors. It has been owned for some time by the Heritage Plantation Museum in Sandwich, Massachusetts. Heritage performed a frame-off restoration restoring it to its 1932 appearance. Gary Cooper, one of the biggest stars of his time, had many exotic cars over his lifetime. He passed away at a relatively young age of 60 in 1961. The 1935 Duesenberg he traded this car in on sold at auction in 2018 for $22,000,000.

Duesenberg was in operation under E.L. Cord from 1926 to 1937. Every one of the 481 Model J Duesenbergs were built between 1928-1930, it just took almost 10 years to sell them all during the Depression.

When a Duesenberg's model year is shown, it usually means that was the year the car was bought, bodied and registered and determines what year the car is despite all being built within the first 3 years. Gary Cooper's Model J is sometimes referred as a 1929, 1930 or 1931.

B- Clark Gable

1935 Duesenberg Model JN

Hollywood leading man Clark Gable was one of the most popular figures of his day, and owned a number of sought-after cars throughout his life. These included a 1932 Packard Twin Six Convertible Coupe, a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ Coupe and 1956 300 SC Cabriolet, and even a Jaguar XK120 Roadster.

However, one of his most treasured cars was a 1935 Duesenberg Model JN, chassis 2585. One of just 10 such cars built that year, it was originally delivered as a Convertible Coupe by Rollston. The story goes that Gable was unhappy about finding that the roof leaked, and that it was then sent to coachbuilder Bohman & Schwartz in Pasadena, CA, for a raft of upgrades, which Gable himself took a role in conceiving.

Changes to the original specification included a more heavily raked windscreen, longer engine cover, bonnet top vents, rear wheel spats, and relocation of the two spare wheels to sit above the more substantial single bar rear bumper. Its radiator cowling and headlight casings were painted to match the body. This Model JN was also given the chrome mesh grille and external exhaust pipes, as found on the supercharged models.

The Duesenberg, with Gable behind the wheel, became a familiar sight in Hollywood. In 1940, a year after their marriage, Gable and Carole Lombard took a trip in the car into Vancouver, Canada, but returned to Los Angeles via rail. The intention was to collect the car later, but this is thought to have been their final journey in it.

In 1942, Lombard was killed in a TWA plane crash in Nevada, on her way home from a war bond promotional tour. Distraught, Gable was said to have declared that he had no wish to drive the Duesenberg again, given its strong connection to his relationship with Lombard. Instructions were issued to sell the car outside of California, lest he have to see it on the road again.

The car passed between numerous collectors over the decades that followed, finding homes in New Mexico, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin; and it was treated to its first major restoration during the 1970s. Eventually it returned to California and was displayed at the famous Blackhawk Collection, and it received another extensive restoration in 2006. Today, it is understood to remain in the US, and has been seen at numerous gatherings and concours events, where it continues to turn as many heads as it would have done in 1935.

Clark Gable's Duesy is currently in a private collection. 

C- James Cagney

1932 Duesenberg J Convertible Sedan with James Cagney in Chicago in front of the Field Museum.

Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg Museum link

Cagney had multiple Duesenbergs. It is unclear where this particular Duesy is today. 

Other Stars and their Duesenbegs

From Art K.

The Hollywood ladies also had their share of Duesenbergs as well.

Here Greta Garbo, Marion Davis and Clara Bows Duesenbergs all together in 1962.

Local star, Howard Kroplick and his 1933 Model J Murphy Berline Convertible.