Andy Killorin scores in The Wall Street Journal’s “Top 10 Most Interesting Automobiles of the Year” by My Rides columnist A.J. Baime. Way to go Andy!!

When my grandfather Karl was about my age, he spent a year working at the Duesenberg factory in Indianapolis, from 1929 to 1930. He saved his factory uniform. In 1948, he bought the foundation of a Duesenberg Model A, and began to restore it.

It was a long process, and my dad helped him. My grandfather got most of the way before he died in 1988. About 10 years ago my dad said to me, "Let's finish this." We completed it in the summer of 2010—62 years after my grandfather started the job. If you look at all the subtleties of a 1923 Duesenberg, they're all correct on the car.

We took it to a car show in Michigan. I'm the same body type as my grandfather. (I was even named after him; my middle name is Karl.) His uniform fits me like a glove, so I wore it to the show. Nobody had worn it since he took it off in 1930. Others were wearing blazers and ties, but I had this uniform on, covered in decades-old oil stains. People went crazy. And the car won two awards.

Now, when I'm wearing the uniform and driving the car, it's the ultimate feeling, like my grandfather is up there looking down on me.

Duesenberg Model A engine starts up for the first time!

Rare factory photo of Model J Duesenberg chassis assembly. Image late 1929.

Model A Duesenberg engine on test dyno.

Otto's Indy Duesenberg and his Model A Touring. Otto drove this car in the streets of Philadelphia as he began adapting the car to SCCA standards….Otto Linton and George Caswell enclosed the front springs in a cowl to help the radiator with cooling at lower speeds, added headlights and rear fenders and changed the exhaust so that a full engine fairing could be used. He did run the car in a few events, but before it was even painted he found a better car. In the summer of 1945 Otto traded the Indianapolis Duesenberg to an Air force veteran who had brought a prewar MG J4 back home (Otto ran the MGJ4 in many events including the first Watkins Glen race in 1948). George Caswell picked up a pre war French BNC and installed a Ford V8-60 which he also ran at Watkins Glen in 1948. The poor Amilcar was turned into a trailer, and used to haul the race cars to the track.

Duesenberg Model A with the White House, Washington, D.C., in background.

Published: 1921-2

Brought to you by the Library of Congress. Check out their website full of historical images sans watermarks!

http://www.loc.gov/library/libarch-digital.html

Duesenberg Straight Eight, "Built to outclass, Outrun and Outlast any car on the road"

Published:1921-1926
A Duesenberg Model A on display in dealership window.

Brought to you by the Library of Congress. Check out their website full of historical images sans watermarks!

http://www.loc.gov/library/libarch-digital.html

New Jersey collector Sam Mann with his 1930 Chrysler and 1924 Duesenberg race cars.

Model Y Duesenberg.

Packard engineer Mike Collins Duesenberg recreation built in 1958.

1925 Model A Duesenberg for sale on eBay. According to the seller:
This exceptional example is widely considered one of the finest Original Model A's in existence. Sporting attractive Close Coupled Sedan Coachwork, the car has a known history from new, having been purchased new by the Governor of Tennessee and subsequently was part of the Legendary Homer Flittering and Weaver Collections for many years. The original paint is in very good condition and would touch up and buff out pretty well. The only checking or crazing is on the driver side rear fender. The top leatherette and seat upholstery been redone in this car it is otherwise completely original.

The car runs and drives well having had a lot of recent mechanical work performed including: Recored Radiator (correct honeycomb) Rebuilt Gearbox and new Clutch, Rebuilt Generator, Water Pump, and Brake System, Tune up, Carburetor, Valve Adjustment, and more.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire a truly important car with arguably one of the the prettiest closed bodies on a Model A.

Circa 1923 Model A Duesenberg formal sedan. Can anyone identify the couple?

Model J Duesenberg Murphy convertible coupe and actress ??

Duesy racer as found and recommissioned top photo. Anyone have details on the car's history?

Dashboard of the Duesy racer. Doubt very much she's a factory built example!

Peter Heydon's Duesenberg Model X at Ville d'Este.

1921 Model A Duesenberg racer. Bottom photo as found a few years back, above as current. Attributed to collector Sam Mann and recommissioned by Zakiras Garage. Anyone with more info on this car please post here!

1915 Duesenberg Indianapolis Racer, Joe & Cynny Freeman, Brookline, MA, Best in Class, Duesenberg Race Cars (7922), Amelia Island.

Duesenberg Number One – A 1921 Model “A” Coupe with Coachwork by Bender: See this fine and exclusive looking Duesenberg presented in photos by Richard Michael Owen at Pebble Beach, along with links to another article and video at the NY Times. Also featured is an original photo of the car and period press coverage, all @ http://theoldmotor.com/?p=99172

Duesenberg Number One – A 1921 Model “A” Coupe with Coachwork by Bender: See this fine and exclusive looking Duesenberg presented in photos by Richard Michael Owen at Pebble Beach, along with links to another article and video at the NY Times. Also featured is an original photo of the car and period press coverage, all @ http://theoldmotor.com/?p=99172

Jimmy Murphy, Duesenberg, 1920 Tacoma Classic. Reproduction 8 X 10 print for sale on eBay.

In the fall of 1971 I accompanied my father to Auburn for the "mecca" of car enthusiasts. En route, we dropped by Leo Gephart's dealership in the Dayton, Ohio area where he had this very early Model A Duesenberg for sale. Car No 603, to be precise. I snapped this image with our trusty Polariod as a keepsake as we didn't have the doe to make the purchase. Fast forward to August, 2013 and I will be judging the very same car at Pebble Beach!
A very nice write up in today's New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/11/automobiles/collectibles/the-no-2-duesenberg-is-also-pebble-bound.html?hpw

Duesenberg No. 1 has been owned by the same family since new and she's headed to the Pebble Beach Concours. Here's a great video and nice write up from the New York Times.