It has been said that, in its day, nothing could pass a Duesenberg. With its 420 cubic-inch displacement 6.9L straight-eight sporting double overhead cams and 4 valves per cylinder, the Model J mustered 265 horsepower – enough to make it the fastest, most powerful and most expensive American car, capable of 120 mph in an era when 100 was unheard of. That was before Fred Duesenberg fitted it with a supercharger, upping output to 320 hp and creating the 140 mph SJ—the most potent performance automobile in the world. It would be his final, fateful creation, as he died later that year from injuries sustained in a crash while testing a Murphy-bodied SJ convertible.
All Duesenbergs were exclusive, but the short-wheelbase models wearing torpedo convertible coupe bodies built by Walter M. Murphy Company were most coveted, numbering just six. Known for its boat-tail shape and its signature polished aluminum rear deck that swallowed the convertible top when lowered, the Murphy-bodied J was as opulent as it was expensive, $15,000 estimated price. It was the most of everything one could want in an automobile.
To celebrate this superior piece of automotive art, Automodello has created the Murphy J ‘Torpedo’ convertible in 1:43 scale. The standard edition—Museum Edition in green resides permanently at Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum. This violet Tribute Edition represents the car owned by the legendary author Clive Cussler, while the Red resides in the Martin Museum.
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