Rare Duesenberg Sells for $2.64 Million

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Oct 22nd 2006 at 7:02PM

What price beauty? How about $2.64 million? That's what this 1931 Duesenberg J Special Phaeton went for during the auction of 90 rare cars and motorcycles owned by late Los Angeles Times publisher Otis Chandler on October 21st. The Gooding and Company auction brought in over $36 million. The Duesenberg wasn't the only $2 million car, a 1904 Mercedes 40/45 HP Sports Touring went for $2.25 million. The collection was deemed important not because of the size but because it featured so many great items. Chandler began collecting cars when he was a student at Stanford University in 1947 and he wanted the cars to go to other collectors after his death.

Tags: auction, automobile, cars, duesenberg

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)

Shawn Nov 28th 2006 9:34AM

I'm a big fan of classic and antique cars, but $2.64 million is a bit obscene. I could retire with that much money.

Gunnar Oct 23rd 2006 11:51PM

Duesenberg created some of the finest cars - ever. The J Special Phaeton is just one classic example.

http://www.automobilesdeluxe.blogspot.com

bill Oct 28th 2006 6:44AM

the price my be high but were are you going to find one i just love working on old cars matter just put super charger belt on my nabors 41 ford pick up its for sale

Steve Oct 28th 2006 7:16AM

The price of $2.64 million is not obscene Shawn, I would have gladly paid $2.65 million. (If I had it to spare)
I totally agree with you Gunner, just another piece of fine art built by a great car company. When will GM, Ford or Chrysler follow suit?
Where can you find an old car Bill??? Try looking in your "nabors" driveway. I hear he has a supercharged 1941 Ford Pick-up for sale.
Have a safe and fun Halloween. BOO...

bob brown Oct 28th 2006 7:35AM

The Dusenberg story is interesting and unique because it was two German immigrant, Indiana farm boys, with no formal technical training, who made a few cars in their small factory. But they were mind boggling masterpieces..and the boys were not infatuated with money or patents, so many others benefited from their expertise. Including Cord..

armin blaess Oct 28th 2006 7:32AM

The identity and the spirit of “armin blaess” makes the “armin blaess label” to the most exclusive and luxuries in the World.

Rod Hayes Oct 28th 2006 7:35AM

I suppose if someone wishes to spend that exhorbiant amount of money for a car then more power to them, but I wonder how many starving children that kind of money could provide for?......and we actually cannot figure out why so many kids join gangs............sorry state of affairs.

Harvey Banks Oct 28th 2006 7:44AM

Great cars! Does anyone know whether Jay Leno bought any? Will any of them end up in the Peterson Museum?

Dave Oct 28th 2006 8:25AM

Bob and Steve....nice commentary.
The rest are not worth the time...world peace...starving kids...come on....it is a car!

And a magnificent car at that.

rick Oct 28th 2006 7:57AM

this is the dumbest thing have heard in a long time i hope thay paid sales tax as we have to for our used cars we drive to work. More money than brains

gus Oct 28th 2006 7:59AM

It,s not alot of money if you can aford it besides it,s a pice of history if you want blame someone one stavareing children talk to your congressman sounds like ten million on there pay rases is more of a waste this is a beautebul car

Robert Owen Oct 28th 2006 8:01AM

I have a friend, whose father owned a country store in
the depression (as payment for grocery bills he received title to two desired cars, a 1932 Ford AND
Chevrolet coupes..both especially sought after models and years) but he had a friend who actually owned a
Duesenberg. It was prone to transmission problems due
to engine torque as he remembered it. Styling is always personal taste and I favor other cars, not all
REAL, RECOGNIZED, classics, but two that are, are the Marmon V16 and mid thirties Pierce-Arrows, 8's and 12's. The price of that car could put all of my favored marques in the barn that could also be bought.
As for the price...much, much less than a Rembrandt... and harder to steal and sell. And it represents the
PEAK of AMERICAN ingenuity and artistry, and infinite
choices, a point from which we have fallen far.

Larry Stein Oct 28th 2006 8:08AM

I lived 2 blocks from the collection. It was open to the public 2 to 4 times per year. The admission fee was modest. It was a wonderful collection to see. The Imperial Palace on the Las Vegas Strip also has a large collection, 300+ cars including 7 Duesenbergs. The Imperial Palace only shows about 75 cars at a given time, but the Duesenbergs are always on display.

George Ferguson Oct 28th 2006 6:23PM

Does anyone know where I can find a 1949 Oldsmobile '98' convertible? It was my car when I was 18 yrs old and would like to relive a little.

steve Oct 28th 2006 10:23AM

Guys

I am familiar with Otis' collection. He had incredible vehicles - $2.6M actually may be cheap considering the condition and rarity of the Deusey.

Larry Stein Oct 28th 2006 8:09AM

A Dusenberg, pound per pound cost as much as a Ford. A Dusenberg had that much more steel. It is my understanding that a Dusenberg would cruise, with no strain at 90 MPH, most other cars of that era would cruise with no strain at 45.

Jerry Oct 28th 2006 8:11AM

People with money will buy whatever they want, but in the case of important art or machinery (and a Duesenberg is both) it is better that the wealthy spend it to preserve items than it would be for those items to disappear forever.
It is all part of history, well worth passing down to future generations.
As to the reason kids join gangs, they just want to belong somewhere where they won't be judged harshly, where they will fit in, and where their peers share the same set of circumstances.

You want to rid the world of gangs?
Have the politicians and big business create jobs in a decent environment that would go to the kids and adults who find solace as gang members.

Look at the requirements to get work in good-paying, more classy jobs and you'll find that virtually NO gang member will qualify.

This is STILL very much a snobish, class society and THAT is why gangs exist today.

The wealthy want a poor underclass, and as long as gangs are ripping off middle class and lower class America, primarily the people in their own towns, the wealthy are immune and happy.

Too make matters more complicated, lots of poor folks will kick themselves in the head and vote Republican, thinking that's the choice of dedictated religious people... Ha Ha! They are only fooling themselves and contributing to their own plight.

As to cash contributions to the needy, take a look at how much money wealthy Republicans and Democrats have contributed to GOOD causes, like fighting hunger, and you'll see that wealthy Democrats usually come from much less well-to-do families and as such have greater empathy for those less fortunate.

Wealthy Republicans are often members of the social elite who inherited their wealth and have promulgated the high-class vs. lower-classes societal divide.

Sometimes GUILT will make ANY wealthy person contribute just a little...

But, enough about the wealthy; what are YOU doing to make things better for all of the world's people?

ALBERT JONES Oct 28th 2006 8:16AM

THIS IS TO YOU ROD HAYES!!!! YOU THINKING THAT WE SHOULD SPEND THAT TYPE OF MONEY ON HELPING KIDS STAY OUT OF GANGS, USELESS TOPIC SO TAKE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE!!

David Lyle Oct 28th 2006 8:38AM

Sorry Rod...I don't believe that someone spending their hard earned money on something them love has a barn thing to do with starving children or kids joining gangs. That all starts at home with caring parents that teach their children properly, giving them values and setting an example of how to live and earn a living.

That is why the person who was able to buy such an important antique car was able to do so. Someone raised he properly and gave him the skills to do so. It is not his job to also raise the rest of the world. I am sure this man also supports many charities.