Vanderbilt Cup Races

While not as many as usually seen in other years of the Monterey Car Week festivities, what was there was an impressive showing of various Duesenberg styles.

2025 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

1st Place- G-01 1929 Duesenberg J Weymann American St. Cloud Sport Sedan

Chassis #2259 J-251

Collector Donald Ghareeb brought out this incredible 1929 Model J Weymann and took 1st. Extremely unique coachwork featuring a leather body, this car was one of only 6 Weymann bodied Duesenbergs with leather coachwork.The other 5 Weymanns have been lost over time making this car the only Weymann survivor.

Charles Terres Weymann (1889–1976) was a French-American aviation pioneer and automotive innovator who brought aircraft engineering principles to car body design. Born to an American father and French mother aboard a ship near Haiti, Weymann was raised in France. He earned his pilot’s license in 1909 and soon gained fame in European aviation, winning the Gordon Bennett Cup in 1911. During World War I, he worked as a test pilot for the French aircraft company Nieuport, and was honored with the Croix de Guerre and named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.

After the war, Weymann applied his aviation knowledge to automobiles, inventing the Weymann Flexible Body System. Introduced in 1921, it used an ash wood frame joined by metal brackets and separated by paper and spacers to reduce squeaks. The framework was covered in fabric layers—muslin, cotton, and synthetic leather like Dupont Zapon—resulting in a lightweight, quiet, and flexible body. His designs featured innovations like adjustable seatbacks and rounded corners reinforced by metal panels. These patents were licensed to top European coachbuilders, and by the mid-1920s, Weymann had established factories and offices in Paris, London, New York, and Cologne. Over 120 coachbuilders worldwide used his system, including those building bodies for Voisin, Delage, and Hotchkiss. By the 1930s, all-metal car bodies became the norm, and the Weymann system fell out of favor.

2nd Place- G-02 1930 Duesenberg J Murphy Sedan Convertible Berline

Chassis #2448 J-399

A Duesenberg that needs no introduction on this site. Roz and Howard Kroplick's 1930 Duesenberg J with its heavily raked windshield, beautiful polished aluminum accents and the only sedan convertible Duesenberg with a removable headliner, was a crowd favorite.

3rd Place- G-04 1933 Duesenberg J Rollston Convertible Victoria

Chassis #2535 J-384

Disappearing top coupe's were usually known to come from the Walter Murphy Coachworks, but a few other coach builders did build a few like this one-off Rollston.

Here McKeel and Soon Hagerty (Yes, that Hagerty from Hagerty Insurance) brought out his coupe, once owned by William Boyd, better known as 'Hopalong Cassidy', still looking great from a restoration 31 years ago.

The ex-William Boyd “Hopalong Cassidy”, unique coachwork, 1933 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Convertible Victoria

G-03 1932 Duesenberg J Rollston Torpedo Berline

Chassis #2574 J-546

The Du Coing Family brought out their 1932 Rollston Duesenberg, and it surely was a Duesy! However, this car was on exhibit only and was not judged for competition.

Originally purchased new in New York City by Shirley Burden- Great-great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Link to a video of the Duesenberg Class

Auctions-Monterey Car Week

Gooding Christie's- 1934 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Convertible Coupe

Chassis #2490 J-461

One of the most desirable of all Duesenberg body styles was the Murphy-built disappearing top coupe. The disappearing top nomenclature is derived from the fact that the top gets hidden beneath a folding panel and cannot be seen when down.

Unfortunately, this car did not sell and will be heading to another future Gooding auction.

RM Sotheby's- 1929 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan by Murphy

Chassis #2225 J-355

A very similar car to Roz and Howard Kroplick's #2448 Duesenberg, this car is also Murphy sedan convertible. However, this car is on the short wheelbase chassis and is also missing the glass divider in between the front and rear seats, so it is not a Berline.

But like Roz and Howard's #2448, this car was also masterfully restored  during a two-year restoration in the hands of Steve Babinsky’s Automotive Restorations in Lebanon, New Jersey for then owner, John Shibles.

I had heard the car did not sell at auction, however, the RM Sotheby's site does say 'sold' without a sale price.

Top down motoring!