The body is the second on this chassis and is a LaGrande Blind Quarter Brougham. The body and fenders are finished in Maroon with a black fabric roof and an opening split V-windshield. Upper body moldings are a darker maroon with striping. Dual chrome-covered, side-mount spares with side mirrors accent both sides of the body, and a pair of chrome-plated Pilot Ray driving lights that turn with the front wheels brighten the way on the road. An optional “Duesenbird” mascot tops the massive chrome-plated radiator shell. Distinctive, plated Duesenberg dual-bar bumpers protect the front and rear, and a matching painted trunk offers storage at the rear of the chassis. The interior is trimmed in maroon cloth and carpet, and it’s further accented with wood moldings and lighted vanities. After the original owner sold this car in 1933, the second owner, F.D. Daniels of Indianapolis, had the current LaGrande body installed. In 1936, it was sold to Brooke Postley of New York, who sold it to prominent Duesenberg collector John Troka of Chicago in 1937. In that same year, Troka sold this car to a Mr. Evanston of Norfolk, Virginia, who kept it until 1951 when it passed to Ralph Block of Houston, Texas. In 1955, Block sold the car to Charles Faulkner, who passed it on to Neil Rogers in 1956. In 1957, Rogers sold the car to Jim Hoe of Hoe Sportcar Garage in Weston, Connecticut, who was the most well- known Duesenberg specialist of his time. Mr. W. Wolin in New York took possession of this car at that time and kept it until 1961, when it was sold to Irving Gardner of Hunter, New York. Gardner sold the car to Everest Wilson of Rhinebeck, New York, in 1985, and Wilson kept it until 1992, when he sold it to Tommy Crook of Auburn, Washington. In 2007, Crook sold it to Thomas Rupf in Germany. This Duesenberg is the result of a mechanical restoration completed in 1994 by Libby’s Classic Car Restoration Center in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and it was previously featured on Page 177 of Fred Roe’s book, “Duesenberg: The Pursuit of Perfection.” This 1929 Duesenberg Model J LaGrande Blind Quarter Brougham marks a rare opportunity to own one of the most significant Duesenbergs, and it will certainly be the center of any classic car collection.
