The auto badge "Duesenberg" creates image of the flowing American made roadster boats that ferried around movie stars or the 30's "musicals" fame. Duesenberg Roadsters - of which the phrase "It's a Doozie" or "Duesy" - provided unmatched levels of luxury and attention to detail generally only had in limousines for state figures and royalty. This was rather unique for an American made product. Yet it was racing - not luxury cars that gave the Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company, Inc. its early start and indeed provided for the very passion that drove the brothers to create such high end luxury, quality automotive products.
At the very beginning it was two German born brothers Frederick and August Deisenberg who as American emigres started their venture in their new found land. Both self-taught engineers - which was not unusual at that point in American industrial development and home grown ingenuity coupled with "night school " courses, these two had a passion not just for formulating and building various machinery but also for racing in all forms. As young boys it was bicycle racing contests. Later on they turned their attention and passions to gas internal combustion engine design and began to construct and build motorcycles themselves. Remarkably their funding to enter the auto trade itself came from backing from Fred Maytag of washing machine fame and a local lawyer. Hence the name of the first venture of the Duesenberg brothers was named - "The Maytag Mason Motor Company "which was located in Iowa. Yet with little business sense and experience in the auto manufacturing sector this particular start up company had a short life indeed.
Yet the drive for auto racing was in their blood. To derive some cash flow the two brothers went back to work for a racing engine builder to the north - in all of places the state of Minnesota, before finally starting up once again with saved seed capital. In 1913 the Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company was created. The dream and goal was to direct efforts to win the famed and respected Indianapolis 500. Indeed it became a Duesenberg factory tradition to enter at least one Duesenberg in this race. This continued on uninterrupted even in the Great Depression of the 1930s - up until 1935.
Yet back to 1914 the First World War was on the horizon and many companies had to shift production away from the consumer market and certainly frivolous racing. On top of that specific suppliers with high end, high tech products that originated on both sides of the war in Europe may not of been sourceable or at the last very hard to obtain. Hence the Duesenberg's had to change tack and change many of their engineering ideas. The "catalyst" or initiation was a Bugati engine. Bugatti had created a straight eight formation gasoline engine simply by placing two straight-four engines end-to-end sharing a common shared crankcase. The arrangement was laid out with two flat style crankcases which were linked at 90 degree angles to come together to form a single solitary engine shaft. This was incredibly innovative for its time and automotive technologies. The Duesenberg's themselves were granted an American contract to produce the engine for the French government. It was the experience with this engine design that laid the groundwork for the famed Duesenberg straight-eight engine.
With the war over the Duesenberg operation turned back to form and racing. What was not supposed to happen did. At the famed French Grand Prix at the Le Mans it was a 115 bhp straight-eight powered racer from the clan that beat out the Europeans and cornered the race.
Back home in America the Duesenberg racing machines continued to power on and win races - especially the respected Indianapolis 500. Whether it was supercharged gas engines, or even a four cylinder Cummings diesel engine powering the craft - the results were always on top and at the head of the pack for Duesenberg racers.
Racing continued on as a tradition of the group far into the late 20's and early 1930's. In 1931 a Cummins-powered diesel engine Duesenberg car set the speed record for diesel powered car at Daytona Beach. Finally in 1935 towards the very end of the racing careers of the Duesenberg clan at the Bonneville Salt Flats a speed demon driving the aptly nicknamed Duesenberg "Mormon Meteor" to set a 24 hour speed record of over 135 miles per hour.
Yet in the end it might have been said simple economic conditions of the 1930s reducing demand for luxury vehicles that ended the dynasty. Yet it seems that "rich people always have money for high end quality luxury good. The greatest reason for the firm's and the auto lines demise were family squabbles between the two brothers as well as gross mismanagement. Perhaps fame and success pushed them beyond their level of skills and competence. Perhaps being of such fame drew to much ego. Yet it was a sad day indeed within the American automobile industry when the parent Duesenberg as an auto making and manufacturing firm was acquired by Auburn-Cord.
Hence it is interesting to note that without the Duesenberg brother's passion for excellence, for pushing the last burst of speed out of racing vehicles that some of the most luxurious and indeed notable pieces of American automotive Americana might never have hit the road.
William E. Simpson over 50 years experience automotive industry sales
Vancouver Auto Trader
BC Premium Used Automobiles
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