1922 Duesenberg Model A 2-4 Coupe Fleetwood
An already busy week for me was happily made even more so by the last minute acquisition of A-661, a 1922 Duesenberg Model A Fleetwood Bodied Rumbleseat Coupe. Walt Reynolds was happy to accompany me to St Louis on Tuesday to pick up the car, a trip made slightly eventful by the slow inflation of the vinyl top at higher speeds. We made it back to Indy pretty late so the car was left on the trailer and I took her on up to Auburn first thing Wednesday. After the days activities I got her off the trailer and proceeded to attempt to start her for the first time only to find that the battery was dead. Roger Eddy being the excellent host he is had one there at the hotel, so after letting it charge for a day, Thursday evening on the town square was spent in getting her started for the first time in probably about a year. This was greatly enhanced by the presence of Brian Joseph and a few other helpful Duesenberg people including Randy Ema. The only other hitch in getting her going was a lack of fuel, so I am sure I made a great impression on the assembled crowd, as being probably the only Duesie owner who needs help with such things as checking his fuel level and charging a battery.
Friday I had her Certified and they let me enter the car in the show, for exhibition only, as I had not registered by the deadline, since owning this car was but a pipe dream at the time of the deadline. I had first spyed this beauty 3 years ago at Hickory Corners when CCCA member Jim Kaufmann of Atlanta let me ride in the rumble seat on a shake down cruise. Jim is a pretty spirited driver and after several laps around the track I asked to be let out. This was the first time I had ever ridden in a rumbleseat, and my first ride in a Duesenberg. I had expected the car to be pretty primitive, and was amazed at its speed and agility. Later that day Jim confided the car was available, and I promised to be in touch once funds were in hand. Funds just became available and Jim was the first person I called. He had already traded the car to a dealer, but his positive relationship with the dealer resulted in me being able to purchase the car anyway.
Bringing the car to Auburn was the smartest thing I could have done. I learned more about this car in the next few days than I would have learned in probably a year, since the assembled cognoscenti at Auburn all knew something of the history of A-661, and the tech tips were simply invaluable.
The History of A-661:
It is generally believed that a Mr. McGarvey of Pennsylvania owned the car either from new or shortly thereafter until his death in the mid seventies. The car was sold at an Estate Sale to Bill Harrah and remained in his collection until that collection was disbanded. It still bears Harrah’s tag #15. Someone there knew Mr. Harrah’s mechanic and used a cell phone to discover that the car was not restored under Harrah’s ownership since it didn’t need it. The car then traveled to England, and it is believed that new seat leather and Vinyl top were installed on that side of the pond. These are supposedly the only things that have been done to this car. The car was then brought back to this side of the pond by Mark Smith of Lynchburg, Virginia, who had it for a few years before trading it to Mr. Kaufmann with some other cars for a Chrysler Dual Cowl Phaeton. Supposedly less than 50 Model A’s remain and of those only about half have bodies. This is the only known car with this body.
Highlights of A-661
This car is an amazing time capsule. The paint is unbelievably good for an 82 year old paint job. Some people maintained it has been resprayed in the 50’s, or at least the fenders, but who really knows. The car polished up quite nicely which I spent Friday afternoon doing. Of course the car features a cast aluminum grill with honeycomb radiator, and Cast Aluminum Firewall. Virtually all the little trim parts one would normally see stamped out in lesser cars are in fact cast pieces on Model A’s. The Model A motor is a single overhead cam straight 8 and sounds simply wonderful with the exhaust cut out open. Even the Vacuum Fuel pump works great. Everything is complete and correct under the hood and in the interior, and the original rumble seat leatherette is in excellent condition. The entire bodywork is aluminum, even the fenders, which exhibit no dents or dings even though there are no fender liners. The cowl lights, which appeared to need replated, actually are German Silver, and just were tarnished. The car features 4 wheel Hydraulic Brakes, Rudge Whitworth Wires, a golf bag door, and really nice nickel plated landau bars. Virtually everything has a lock including both hoods, which have spring-loaded latches. The car needs some minor things like the Watson Stabilizers rebuilt, and a couple of the leaf springs and new tires have been mounted backwards, but really is quite drivable the way it sits. In fact she did fine in the Parade of Classics, bringing up the rear of the Duesenberg quotient (still running a little rich, the other Duesie owners nicely suggested I follow to “save the best for last” but I think they had ulterior motives).
Several Indiana Region members were present at the Show and I think everyone was pretty amazed that I am now a Duesenberg owner, but trust me, no one is more so than myself. I am extremely fortunate and honored to be the custodian of such a fine piece of Indianapolis Automotive history.
