Of the long and distinguished list of American coachbuilders, the Walter M. Murphy Company firmly established itself as one of the most celebrated and memorable. Of the 140 bodies that the Pasadena-based firm created for the immortal Model J Duesenberg – in a wide array of open and closed styles – over one-third of them were the company’s signature sporting Convertible Coupe. The style became so popular that, by the early 1930s, Murphy had begun to construct “bodies in white” so that customers clamoring for the popular open body style would not have to wait to receive coachwork for their new Duesenberg.

In the early 1920s, Murphy General Manager George R. Fredericks and Murphy designer Franklin Hershey devised a mechanism that would stow away the convertible’s top in a well behind the seats and make it “disappear” under a metal canopy that fit flush with the body. This gave the bodywork a sleek and clean profile. Bodies that featured this innovation were known as Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupes and became one of Murphy’s most popular designs. It certainly remains so today.

The story of J-461 begins in 1931 when Siegfried Roebling purchased his new Model J Duesenberg, a LaGrande “Sweep Panel” Dual-Cowl Phaeton. Mr. Roebling was the grandson of John Roebling, of Brooklyn Bridge fame, whose family organized and financially backed the Mercer Automobile Company of Trenton.

Within its first few years, the Duesenberg was involved in an accident that damaged its coachwork. The car was returned to the Duesenberg factory, and rather than repair the Phaeton, a Disappearing-Top Coupe Roadster body was mounted atop J-461 and featured the incredibly rare option of dual rear-mounted spares. This arrangement helped to visually lengthen the already sporting roadster, allowing the sweep of the front fenders to dominate the design.

When it was completed in 1934, J-461 represented the best of both worlds: it was a relatively late chassis fitted with the classic, early style fenders and other features that gave it the appearance of a car completed in the late 1920s or early 1930s. As was common practice at the time, Duesenberg re-titled J-461 as a 1934, and treated it as though it was an entirely new product.

Mr. Roebling passed away suddenly in 1936; however, the dashing Model J remained on the East Coast, eventually coming to the attention of Richard Harris of New Haven, Connecticut, who bought it in the early 1940s. Jim Hadley of Washington, D.C. has been recorded as owning the Duesenberg shortly thereafter, and the dramatic two-tone livery was changed to a single dark color. Photos taken at the time illustrate J-461’s distinctive rear spares.

In the late 1950s, the Duesenberg was purchased by collector James G. Groendyk of Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. From there, it is believed to have been sold to a private collector in Florida, before making its way back to the Northeast in 1970, when it was acquired by M.H. Gould of Pennsylvania. Later that year, the splendid Convertible Coupe was sold to Richard Boeshore, also of Pennsylvania.

In the mid-1970s, under Mr. Boeshore’s care, the grand Duesenberg was shown at Hershey where it received an AACA award for its handsome appearance and authenticity. A photo taken at the time shows the Duesenberg looking quite similar to its current presentation. Mr. Boeshore appears to have retained the Duesenberg until November 1984, when it was sold to John Wheatley of Oklahoma, who in turn sold it to Chicago resident William Buddig of the well-known Buddig meat company. Mr. Buddig was a noted collector who had an impressive stable of significant American classics when the substantially unrestored Duesenberg caught his attention.

Mr. Buddig entrusted close friend and respected Duesenberg specialist, Fran Roxas, to perform a show-quality restoration, which was completed in 1985. The impeccably restored Model J was truly a marvelous sight. Finished in solid black, the Duesenberg, with its split rear bumper, single center-mounted driving light, and lovely, unbroken lines, was poised to capture the most important concours awards. Over the next decade it met that expectation.

At the ACD Club Annual Reunion in 1986, J-461 was awarded Best Score, the ACD Fred Duesenberg Award, and Best of Show. Mr. Buddig then displayed his Duesenberg at the 1986 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where its highly accurate presentation, meticulous restoration, and rare design features helped it capture First in Class in one of the most competitive categories of the day. At the Tucson Concours, that same year, J-461 received Best of Show honors.

In 1987, Mr. Buddig displayed the Convertible Coupe at Hickory Corners, Michigan, for the Gilmore Car Museum Duesenberg Show. Amazingly, out of 125 Duesenbergs present at the event, J-461 was selected as the Best Model J Duesenberg – a strong testament to its visual appeal and significance. Later that year, it was shown at the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance where it received a First Place award. Subsequent showings at Meadow Brook were also successful, and the Duesenberg won several special awards in later years. In addition, this superb Model J received the coveted 100-point judgment by the CCCA and has since earned Junior, Senior, and Premier awards. In 1989, it achieved yet another concours victory, taking home Best of Show honors at the Chicago International Concours.

Mr. Buddig passed away in the 1990s and, after some time, the Duesenberg was reluctantly sold by his family. After spending nearly a decade alongside other impressive Duesenbergs while in the collection of Jerry J. Moore, J-461 spent the next five years with fellow Houstonian collector John O’Quinn, before it was acquired from his estate by the consignor in 2010. In the 14 years of his ownership, the consignor has shown the Convertible Coupe once at Pebble Beach, and it has seen time on the open roads of Northern California during classic car tours with friends.

The extraordinary list of awards and honors bestowed upon this rare Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe over the past decades speaks to its impeccable status, even in the exclusive world of Duesenbergs. Benefiting from a late chassis and desirable aesthetic features, there are few Model Js that have the charisma and appeal of J-461.