DIY Network

Duesenberg Chassis Duesenberg chassis and engine — the core of classic. From "Special Presentation" episode DCRD-S

This chassis and engine form the foundation for a great Duesenberg automobile.

Jay Leno Duesenberg Collection, Automobile #4: Duesenberg Chassis

Statistics:

• Model: J chassis
  Year built: chassis 1931; engine 1930
  Original owner: unknown
  Original mileage: unknown
  Price new: $8,500
  Number in Leno's collection: 4th

Awards: None. Never shown.

advertisement

Duesenbergs were sold as chassis and sent out to a coach builder where the body would be designed and created based on the owners wishes.

Pieces of History United

Little is known about the history of this Duesenberg chassis. The chassis and engine that sits upon it came from two separate Duesenbergs — both Willoughby Sedans. After these two Duesenberg sedans were destroyed throughout the years, the chassis and engine were all that was left of the once great vehicles.

In 1963, Homer Fitterling decided to marry these two pieces of history, installing the engine to the chassis. It is unknown how he came to own these two pieces, but it was in that year that the two were united together. For a period of time after, the revamped chassis was displayed at the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg museum in Auburn, Indiana.

In 1989, Fitterling sold the chassis at auction with the rest of his immense car collection to Ed Weaver, owner of Diamond Carpet Mills. The chassis was up at auction once again after Weaver's death in 1995, where Jay Leno gladly took possession of it.

Restoration Process

This chassis and engine would be the foundation for a great Duesenberg automobile. However, Leno has no plans as of yet to create a custom body to sit atop this chassis. For now, it will remain a stand alone chassis in Leno's collection — a reminder of Fred Duesenberg's groundbreaking mechanical engineering.

An original photo of a chassis from the 1930s

Brief History of the Chassis

The chassis is the very core of what makes a Duesenberg so fantastic. After years of building engines for the race world, Fred Duesenberg designed a chassis and engine combination for mainstream production that would become legendary in automotive history — known today as the Model J.

This chassis and engine was first displayed at the 1928 New York Car Show, shocking the automotive industry. Over 481 Model J's would eventually be built, the chassis alone costing around $8,500. The body and interior would be custom built by a commissioned coachbuilder, eventually being married to the chassis purchased from the Duesenberg factory. Once a Model J was completed, this vehicle could reach top speeds of around 120 mph. This was the fastest vehicle of its time — few other cars of the era could exceed 100 mph and none could get there as quickly as a Duesenberg.

Go to the next Duesenberg in Jay's collection.