The Duesenberg Model A was the first motor car produced by Fred and August Duesenberg under the company that bore their surname, although both men were blisteringly clever self-taught engineers they were appalling businessmen and company administrators, as a result of this they both ended up working as the engineers/designers of their company after it fell into receivership.
The Model A you’re looking at here is a coach built example by Brandfon, it’s fitted with the famous Duesenberg 88hp, 260 cubic inch straight-8 engine with a single overhead camshaft, a three-speed manual transmission and it rides on a solid front axle, a live rear axle, longitudinal semi-elliptic leaf springs, and 4-wheel hydraulic brakes.
Only 667 Model As were built before the company went bankrupt, the model is unique in that it’s the only car the brothers made when the entire company was under their executive control. The latter Duesenbergs were still engineered by Fred and August, but it’s hard to say how much influence the two men had in the overall conception and execution of the vehicles that came later in the company’s existence.
It’s an extraordinary testament to the brothers that even today, almost a century after the Duesenberg name last appeared on a new car, we still associate the marque with exceptional quality and top shelf engineering. The rare Model A Speedster shown here is coming up for sale with RM Auctions at the Motor City Sale on the 26th of July 2014, there’s currently no estimated value but the same car did sell in 2010 for $258,000 – although it’s likely to be worth quite a bit more than this now.
Click here to view the official listing.
Photo Credits: Darin Schnabel ©2014 Courtesy of RM Auctions
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