Fred and Augie Duesenberg: Made America's Greatest Car

The Duesenberg SJ, a classic car of beauty and power, sells for millions on the rare occasion when one is offered for sale at auction. Jay Leno, owner of an extensive classic car collection, calls the SJ “the greatest American car” ever built. Although the Duesenberg name evokes images of a European heritage, an automobile built in the image of iconic stalwarts such as Mercedes, Benz, Bugatti and Ferrari, the European heritage is an illusion. Duesenberg cars are as American as apple pie, born and bred in the cornfields of Iowa. The Duesenberg story follows the traditional evolution of many automobile pioneers through the bicycle and mechanical phases to the development of a car fitting their vision. But the brothers took it a step further and created such superlative cars that movie stars, tycoons and royalty lined up to buy them including Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Dolores Del Rio, William Randolph Hearst, Darryl Zanuck, Jr., Marion Davies, Philip Wrigley—he owned three in succession—the Duke of Windsor, the King of Spain and the Prince of Romania. Award-winning author and syndicated columnist Daniel Alef tells the story of the Duesenbergs and the creation of America's greatest car. [2,819-word Titans of Fortune article]