1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Dual-Cowl Phaeton
- Engine
- Twin-cam straight-eight, ~260 bhp
- Colour
- Creamy white
This Duesenberg Model J carries Murphy Dual-Cowl Phaeton coachwork featuring Franklin Q. Hershey's celebrated 'butterfly' cowl design, one of only two examples built to this specification on the short-wheelbase chassis. Originally delivered to Harry W. Curran before passing to playboy heir Tommy Manville, it was later restored by the Wendling Brothers and displayed widely on the East Coast before spending nearly half a century in the Swigart Automobile Museum. A comprehensive restoration by Steve Babinsky's shop preceded concours victories at Pebble Beach and Amelia Island, after which the car accumulated over 7,000 road miles in active use.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$3,305,000
- → 1955-04-01Acquisition unknownA.B. Heinsohnpartial documentation
Located in Convent, New Jersey; sold the car in April 1955.
- 1955-04-01 → 1958Private saleC. Richard Bellfull documentation
Active early member of several major American classic-car clubs; had the car fully restored by the Wendling Brothers in a white and red livery, and showed it extensively on the East Coast, winning a CCCA Primary First Prize shortly before selling.
- 1958 → 2007Private saleWilliam Swigart Jr. / Swigart Automobile Museumfull documentation
Family automobile museum in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania; the car was rarely exhibited publicly during its nearly five decades of museum storage.
- 2007 →AuctionPaul Andrewsfull documentation
Purchased when the Swigart estate was settled; commissioned a full restoration by Steve Babinsky's shop and thereafter used the car extensively on tours and in everyday driving across Texas, accumulating over 7,000 miles post-restoration.
- Date unknownFactory deliveryHarry W. Curranpartial documentation
Original recipient of the body on chassis J-336, based in Chicago. The car passed from him within a few months of delivery.
- Date unknownPrivate saleTommy Manvillepartial documentation
Heir to an industrial fortune and prolific acquirer of notable automobiles; known for purchasing the latest cars, sometimes directly from auto show displays.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownNew York Duesenberg Factory Branchpartial documentation
Car returned to the factory's New York outlet in the early 1930s and subsequently changed hands among several brief owners in New York state prior to the war.
Competition
- 1958Classic Car Club of AmericaCCCA Primary First Prize showingPrimary First Prize
Won shortly before Bell sold the car in January 1958; part of the car's well-known East Coast show circuit appearances in the mid-to-late 1950s.
- 20092009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance2nd in Class
First major concours appearance following the Babinsky restoration completed for Paul Andrews.
- 2010Amelia Island Concours d'EleganceBest in Class
Achieved the top class award the year after its Pebble Beach debut.
- 2011Colorado GrandDriver: Paul Andrews
A long-distance touring event through the Rocky Mountains; part of several thousand miles accumulated by the Andrews family on tours.
- 2011Pebble Beach Motoring ClassicDriver: Paul Andrews
Touring run from Seattle to Monterey; completed alongside other multi-day events as part of the car's active post-restoration road use.
- 2012Classic Car Club of AmericaCCCA Annual Meeting, DallasSenior First Prize, 99.5 points
Maintenance & restoration
- —RestorationWendling Brothers
Full restoration by the Wendling Brothers following a body swap onto chassis 2169; completed in creamy white with red leather upholstery.
Carried out during C. Richard Bell's ownership in the mid-1950s; the finished car was widely exhibited on the East Coast.
- —RestorationSteve Babinsky's Automotive Restorations
Comprehensive restoration returning the car to its original appearance; original body sheet metal and timber were retained with only minor fender repairs, and the engine was fully rebuilt with new Carillo connecting rods.
Commissioned by Paul Andrews after acquiring the car in 2007; completed in time for the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Workshop is located in Lebanon, New Jersey.
- —Mechanical
New solid 19/700 rims fabricated specifically to accept radial tyres; original 19/750 split-rim wheels with bias-ply tyres retained and supplied loose with the car.
Carried out during the Andrews ownership as part of ongoing maintenance programme; exact date not stated.
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