How two nobodies created the Bugatti killer nobody saw coming

The Duesenberg Brothers’ Journey from Bicycles to Automotive Royalty

Two German brothers changed America’s roads forever.

Fred and August Duesenberg started as bike mechanics but soon built race cars that left others in the dust. After WWI, they set up shop in Indianapolis and quickly made history.

Their cars won the French Grand Prix in 1921—the first American car to do so—and then took four Indy 500 victories. When money got tight, businessman E. L. Cord stepped in with a bold plan: build the world’s best car.

The result? The Model J, America’s fastest and most expensive automobile that stars and millionaires had to own.

The Auburn Automobile Museum now houses these engineering marvels where you can see firsthand how two immigrants created automotive royalty.

German Brothers Brought Mechanical Genius to America

Fred and August Duesenberg came to America from Germany in 1885 as young boys and settled in Iowa.

The brothers showed their knack for fixing things early on with bicycles in Des Moines, learning about engines through hands-on work. They fixed bikes for years before they got into making cars around 1906.

The skills they picked up fixing bicycles helped them understand complex machinery, which later helped them build some of the best cars in the world.

Racing Cars Came Before Luxury Models

Around 1913, the Duesenberg brothers built their first big success—the Mason racer. These early race cars had new overhead camshaft engines when most other cars used simpler designs.

The brothers won smaller Midwest races first, making a name for their fast, trusty machines. Their cars stood out by mixing European design ideas with American building methods.

Drivers wanted Duesenberg engines because they were strong and lasted longer on dirt tracks across America.

War Efforts Sharpened Their Engineering Skills

During World War I, the government hired the Duesenbergs to build aircraft engines for the military. They took what they knew about racing engines to create strong, light motors for planes.

Their biggest contribution was the walking-beam valve system, which let engines run faster without breaking.

This wartime work pushed them to get better at engineering under pressure and gave them access to better materials they later used in their cars.

Indianapolis Became Home Base for Speed Innovation

The Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company opened in Indianapolis in 1920. The brothers chose this spot because of its strong ties to racing and manufacturing.

While they made some regular cars, racing stayed their main focus. Their factory sat near the famous speedway, making testing and race prep easier.

The city’s skilled workers and central location made it perfect for making high-performance vehicles.

American Engineering Beat Europe at Its Own Game

Jimmy Murphy shocked everyone when he won the 1921 French Grand Prix driving a Duesenberg. This win marked the first time an American car beat the European racing giants in their own backyard.

The Duesenberg car had a straight-eight engine with four valves per cylinder and dual overhead camshafts—tech years ahead of most others.

European fans couldn’t believe an American car beat their best machines, making the Duesenberg name famous worldwide overnight.

The Indy 500 Became Their Proving Ground

Duesenberg cars ruled the Indianapolis 500 throughout the 1920s, winning in 1922, 1924, 1925, and 1927. Their straight-eight racing engines made more power than anything else on the track.

The brothers also brought hydraulic brakes to racing when other cars still used mechanical systems, giving their drivers a huge safety edge.

These Indy 500 wins showed the brothers weren’t just good engineers but masters of race planning too.

Money Problems Led to New Ownership

Despite winning races, the Duesenberg company ran into money troubles by the mid-1920s. Racing wins didn’t lead to enough car sales to keep the company in the black.

Car mogul E. L. Cord saw potential in the Duesenberg name and bought the company in 1926. Cord kept the brothers working but shifted their focus from racing to making super-luxury cars.

He told Fred Duesenberg to build “the best car in the world,” no matter the cost.

The Model J Changed What Americans Thought Possible

The Duesenberg Model J first showed up at the 1928 New York Auto Show and amazed the car world. It packed a huge 265-horsepower straight-eight engine when most fancy cars offered less than 100 horsepower.

Fred Duesenberg created an engineering marvel with dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and aluminum parts to cut weight.

The basic chassis alone cost $8,500 when a new Ford cost around $500, making it only for the super-rich.

Custom Bodies Made Each Car One-of-a-Kind

People who bought Duesenberg Model Js got only the chassis and engine from the factory. They then picked from famous body makers like Murphy, LaGrande, and Derham to create custom bodywork.

This process took months and added thousands more to the price. Rich clients chose every detail from paint colors to inside materials, making each car unique.

These custom bodies featured art deco styling that shaped car design for decades after.

Hollywood Stars Flocked to the Ultimate Status Symbol

Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, and Greta Garbo all owned Duesenbergs during Hollywood’s golden age. The saying “it’s a doozy” became American slang for something amazing, inspired by these cars.

European royalty and American business big shots also bought them despite the Great Depression hurting the economy.

Owning a “Duesy” meant you had truly made it to the top of society, with enough money to buy a car that cost more than many homes.

Auburn Museum Keeps the Legend Alive Today

After producing only about 480 Model J chassis, Duesenberg stopped making cars in 1937.

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum now preserves this automotive legacy in the company’s original Auburn, Indiana headquarters. Visitors can see perfectly restored examples of these engineering marvels up close.

The museum showcases how Duesenberg innovations like four-wheel hydraulic brakes, overhead camshafts, and aluminum components became standard in cars decades later, proving the brothers were truly ahead of their time.

Visiting Automobile Museum in Auburn, Indiana

The Auburn Automobile Museum at 1600 South Wayne Street showcases the Duesenberg brothers’ legacy through their “Evolution of America’s Finest Motorcar” exhibit.

You’ll see rare Models A, X, Y, and J in the original 1930s Art Deco showroom. Open daily 9am-5pm with $19.24 adult admission (kids under 6 free).

The Gallery of Racers highlights their racing achievements, plus monthly Highlights Tours happen first Saturdays at 11am.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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