Auburn Automobile Plant’s Duesenberg

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--1997   -  The Auburn Automobile Plant’s Duesenberg.
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---------------------  -  1997 -  The Auburn Automobile Plant’s Duesenberg.
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-  The automobile plant in Auburn ,Indiana, my hometown, built and sold 3 models of cars in the “Roaring 1920’s“, the Auburn, Cord , and Duesenberg.
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-.  The Auburn was the cheapest model.
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-.  The Cord was a sports model.
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-.  The Duesenberg was the expensive model.  The model “J” cost $8,500, but, you had to pay an extra $2,500 for the “coachwork“, bodywork and interior.  Only 470 were produced.
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-.  The name came from the brothers Fred and August, “Auggie” Duesenberg.  Eric L. Cord purchased the struggling Duesenberg Motor Company in 1926.   Cord owned the Auburn Motor Company.
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-.  Duesenberg race cars had the land speed record at Daytona Beach in 1920.  The car won the Le Mans race in France in 1921.  And, the Indianapolis 500 in 1924, 1925, and 1927.
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-.  Cord’s idea was to build the pinnacle in a luxury class car.  The model “J” was presented at the New York Auto Show in 1928.
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-------------------  .  420 cubic inch straight 8  cylinder engine.
--------------------  .  Dual overhead cam shafts.
--------------------  .  4 valves per cylinder
--------------------  .  Aluminum alloy pistons, rods, and crankshaft.
--------------------  .  3  speed synchromesh manual transmission.
--------------------  .  15 inch hydraulic drum brakes.
--------------------  .  An instrument panel including a tachometer, stopwatch, altimeter , and a barometer.
--------------------  .  .  The coachwork that the owner paid $2,500 extra for included touring sedans, dual cowl phaetons, 4-door convertibles, 2-seater roadsters.
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-.  The Model J weighed 5,500 pounds, but, had a top speed of 100 miles per hour.
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-.  In 1932 the Model “SJ” was introduced that was supercharged, 5.2 to 1 compression ratio.  320 horsepower.  Top speed was 129 miles per hour.
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-  The Model SJ had the 4 chromed exhaust pipes exiting the engine cover.
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-.  The shorter wheelbase model “SSJ“, only two were built, owned by Clark Gable and Gary Cooper.  The car became known as “ It's a Doozy “.
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-.  In 1932 Fred Duesenberg died of pneumonia.  The last model J and SJ Duesenberg's came off the assembly line in 1934.  In 1935 E.L. Cord shutdown all automobile operations.  My Dad had hung differentials on the assemble line and  alcohol rubbed the multiple coat lacquer finishes when he worked at the auto plant.  The brick building is still there today as an automobile Museum.
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-.  My dad's friend, Bill Fitzsimmons, was a test driver for every car that came off the assembly line.  As it came off the line “Wild Bill” drove it around a track that was behind the brick building.  Over ramps and bumps he came back and instructed the mechanics on any adjustments that were still needed.  Bill was also an airplane pilot who once flew his plane through the open front and rear doors of the airplane hangar.  My boss, Earl Summers and my Dad watched from Earl’s stucco farmhouse that was next door to the Auburn Airfield.
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