A forerunner to America’s first supercar
America’s mightiest motorcar, the Duesenberg, was designed by race-car builders August and Fred Duesenberg. Their J and SJ models reflected the brothers’ racing background in such features as straight-eight engines, double overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. The J bowed in 1929 and the SJ in 1932.
They were among the world’s greatest cars of the classic era (1925-1948), the one name that stood above all others in America. The model J and even mightier supercharged SJ stand with such classics as England’s Rolls-Royce Phantom III, Germanys’ Mercedes-Benz SSK and France’s Bugatti Royale.
The Duesenberg J was envisioned by Errett Lobban Cord, a highly successful car salesman who gained control of the Duesenberg Motor Co. of Indianapolis in 1926 and made it part of his Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg empire. His ambition was to create an American car that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s best.
But before Cord entered the picture with his vision of an ultraprestigious American car, the Duesenbergs had produced an earlier production Duesenberg, the Model A. It was a very good car, but unfortunately was destined to be outshone by the more glamorous J and SJ.
In spite of its secondary role, the Model A Duesenberg had its claims to fame, the principal one being the first production car fitted with four-wheel hydraulic brakes. This would have a wideranging impact on the automobile industry.
The Model A was introduced at the 1920 New York Auto Show and went into production in December 1921. It was evolved from the racing Duesenberg that had won the French Grand Prix in July 1921, where its hydraulic brakes were a decisive factor. The A was such a durable design that modified versions appeared in the Indianapolis 500 race as late as 1934.
The Model A Duesenberg’s brake fluid was a mixture of alcohol and five per cent anti-rust oil. The hydraulic brakes proved so superior to the then-conventional mechanical brakes, they gradually became the industry standard.
Another Model A Duesenberg achievement was the first production inline eight-cylinder engine. Its smoothness and power were superior to the then-popular sixes and fours and it soon attracted others such as Auburn, Packard and Stutz. The straight-eight would become a widely used powerplant, particularly popularized by Packard and Buick. Its esteem did not really fade until 1949 when Cadillac and Oldsmobile introduced their short-stroke, overhead valve V-8s.
Duesenberg made extensive use of aluminum in the Model A’s engine, including pistons and intake manifold. The A weighed about 1,680 kilograms and was capable of a 137-km/h top speed.
The 87-horsepower eight had a bore of 73 millimetres and a quite long stroke of 127 mm, giving a displacement of 4.3 litres (260 cu. in.). Its two valves per cylinder were actuated by a single overhead camshaft driven by bevel gears and a vertical shaft at the front of the engine. Power went through a three-speed manual transmission.
Duesenberg made Model As almost through the 1920s, during which about 650 were built. Duesenbergs amassed an outstanding competition record, winning the French GP, three Indy 500s in the 1920s and breaking a land speed record. Along with Harry Miller’s racers, Duesenberg was the dominant name in American racing during the 1920s.
In spite of this, it didn’t generate high sales. Buyers were also apparently unimpressed with Duesenberg’s “non-stop” (except for tire changes) 5,080-km run on the Indianapolis Speedway at an average speed of more than 100 km/h.
There are probably several reasons for the Model A’s mediocre sales. One was the Duesenberg’s German name in an era when the First World War was still a fresh memory. Although German-born, the brothers came to the U.S. as boys and were thoroughly American. Another deterrent was cost. The Model A was priced in the $7,000 to $8,000 range, a very large sum in the 1920s.
When E.L. Cord purchased Duesenberg in 1926, Model A production was down to one or two cars per week. The Duesenberg brothers were always better engineers than businessmen, so the infusion of Cord’s capital and entrepreneurial spirit was badly needed. Never a shrinking violet, Cord immediately initiated the design of the Model J supercar.
A few revised Model As called the Madam X were produced while the model J was under development. The Madam X’s purpose seemed to be to use up remaining Model A parts and to keep the Duesenberg name before the public while the new J model was being developed.
In spite of pioneering hydraulic brakes and straight-eight engine, and an outstanding competition record, the Model A was always overshadowed by its more glamorous siblings.