Duesenberg Model J
The Duesenberg Model J is a luxury automobile made by Duesenberg, debuting in 1928 and offered for ten years. Gordon Buehrig, aged 25 and chief body designer for Duesenberg, designed it. Its 420 cu in straight-eight engine produced 265 horsepower in normally aspirated form, surpassing all larger-engined rivals. It achieved 116 mph top speed and 89 mph in second gear — making it both the fastest and most expensive American automobile on the market. It was intended to compete with the most luxurious and powerful cars in the world, launching the year before the 1929 stock market crash. Duesenberg Motors Company went bankrupt in 1937. Only the chassis and engine were factory-made; bodies were custom-built by third-party coachbuilders. Of 481 Model Js produced, about 378 survive.