Model J Duesenbergs were built for the elite. In both their concept and their cost they were inherently accessible only to the most successful, influential and powerful.

It was inherent in E.L. Cord's positioning of the Model J with understated advertising showing a sparsely drawn black and white sketch of a gentleman, immaculately attired in crisp white, on the deck of his yacht with the only copy being "He drives a Duesenberg."

The Model J's specifications were second-to-none: 420 cubic inches, 265 horsepower, eight cylinders, 32 valves, dual overhead camshafts, choice of 142½" and 153½" wheelbase chassis. When introduced in late 1928 at the 1929 New York Auto Salon the Model J was twice as powerful as its next closest American competitor. So was its price: $8,500 for the bare chassis – because it was assumed that the discerning Duesenberg Model J buyer would commission one of the day's fine coachbuilders to clothe it in individual style, equipment and color