The Duesenberg Model J was, without question, the ultimate luxury automobile of its day. The brainchild of industrialist E.L. Cord, the magnificent Model J was the crown jewel of a vast business empire, an engineering marvel, and the automotive expression of American optimism during the Roaring Twenties. Unveiled at the 1929 Automobile Salon in New York, the Duesenberg was aimed at a rarified clientele who could afford a $20,000 car at a time when most motorists were fortunate to own a $500 Ford Model A.

For as long as people have collected classic cars, the Duesenberg Model J has remained at the forefront of the hobby. No world-class collection is considered complete without one, and several prominent collectors have been sufficiently inspired by these exceptional automobiles to acquire as many examples as means allowed.

As with most American classics, the Model J was available in a wide array of body styles – everything from sporting two-passenger roadsters to formal limousines. Nearly all the great coachbuilders were retained by clients to build upon the mighty Model J chassis, yet one firm clearly stood above the rest: the Walter M. Murphy Company of Pasadena, California.

Although Murphy constructed bodies for a number of high-end automobiles, including Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, and Packard, they are most famous for their work on the Duesenberg Model J, a chassis for which the company built at least 125 bodies. No matter the style, Murphy bodies are all characterized by their incredible build quality, elegant styling, and exemplary attention to detail.

Along with the iconic Disappearing-Top Coupe Roadster, Murphy’s elegant Convertible Sedan was the most popular body style offered for the Model J, with approximately 50 individual bodies built in total. Most often credited to famed designer W. Everett Miller, the Convertible Sedan was a specialty of the innovative California coachbuilder that had pioneered the use of thin “clear-vision” cast-brass pillars in the mid-1920s.

This handsome 1929 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan (chassis 2194 and engine J-173) was originally retained for use as a demonstrator, either by the factory or, more likely, the New York distributor.

In 1930, the all-black Convertible Sedan was delivered to its first owner, Alice McCollister, the famed Manhattan restaurateur, whose popular seafood restaurant at 43 W. 8th Street was a staple of Greenwich Village for many years. The Duesenberg remained in Ms. McCollister’s hands until the mid- to late-1930s, when it was sold to Peter Saladino of Jamaica, New York. A remarkable file of service records and personal correspondence dating back to April 1952 offers a fascinating insight into the extraordinary care that this Model J received during its six decades with the Saladino family.

For the majority of its postwar existence, J-173 remained unrestored and was looked after by Arthur James Hoe’s legendary Duesenberg shop in Weston, Connecticut. From the 1950s on, Hoe Sportscar was an automotive mecca for devotees of the extinct American marque, and its proprietor was immortalized when famed automotive author Ken Purdy published a short article entitled, “The Duesenberg Man.”

As the Murphy Convertible Sedan was primarily enjoyed during occasional outings in favorable weather, it was always maintained in fine mechanical order and accumulated very few miles. In 1998, the Saladinos made the difficult decision to part with their beloved Duesenberg and, after 60 years in single family ownership, J-173 was sold to famed collector Bob Bahre of Paris, Maine. Even though the Duesenberg had joined one of the great collections, it remained virtually unknown to the classic car community until Mark Johnson of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, acquired it in 2000.

In 2001, J-173 was invited to take part in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where it was regarded as a standout in the Preservation Class. Not only was the Duesenberg honored with a class award, but it also earned the prestigious FIVA Postwar Trophy for the best-preserved and regularly driven automobile.

The current owner, a prominent Southern California collector, acquired the Duesenberg in 2011 and continued to share it with the public, earning a string of impressive awards at leading US concours events. Most notably, the Model J earned a second FIVA trophy and numerous preservation honors. Consistent with its concours awards, J-173 has been confirmed by the Auburn-Cord- Duesenberg Club as a Category 1 car – retaining its original chassis, engine, and coachwork – and was issued a FIVA Identity Card with the ultra-desirable A2 classification.

In 2016, the consignor made the decision to have the Duesenberg restored, and selected Old Iron Works of Montgomery, Texas, to perform the finely detailed task of returning it to its gleaming original appearance. Thousands of hours are accounted for in the cosmetic and mechanical renewal of the car, which was finished just as it was when new – in monochromatic black with black leather, carpet, and canvas, and impeccably chromed accessories and trim – achieving a truly dramatic and sparkling presence.

At the time of cataloguing, the odometer displayed less than 24,000 miles, and while this figure cannot be absolutely verified, it is certainly in keeping with the car’s fine overall condition prior to restoration.

Admired, respected, and coveted by knowledgeable collectors and Duesenberg authorities, J-173 possesses a rich history, known provenance, and elegant open coachwork by Murphy. The next caretaker of this fabulous Duesenberg will have in their possession an American classic of the absolute highest order.