Words to live by courtesy of Jay Leno: “If you’ve got a Duesenberg, get out there and use it!”
Leno should know. He’s got a few in his collection, and he loves to drive them — even the one that's the subject of this episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage.” This particular car is a Model J (built in 1928 but considered a 1931) and unlike his other Duesys, Leno’s opted to keep this one as a bare but drivable chassis.
That’s great news for us, because it’s our best chance at seeing what these were like when brand-new. Duesenberg didn’t build bodies; it was up to a buyer to figure out what their car was going to look like. But unless you catch one mid-restoration, it’s rare to see a Duesenberg these sans coachwork. Which is kind of a shame, because from the cast aluminum firewalls to the massive straight-eight engines, the mechanicals are often as impressive as the bodywork that conceals them.
Source: Read Full Article