History of 1929 Duesenberg SJ-292 - Charvet Classic Cars

I'm David Charvet with Charvet Classic Cars. In the fall of 1929, Duesenberg J short-wheelbase chassis number 2158, fitted with engine J292, was sent by the Indianapolis factory to LeBaron and fitted with her stylish dual-cowl suite-panel Phaeton coachwork, this being the fifth one, built by LeBaron. Upon completion, it was sent to Paris as one of the several Duesenberg Model J showcars at the 23rd Paris Salon de l'Automobile held at the Grand Palais on the Champs-Élysées in October of 1929. After the Paris showing, J292 returned to New York where it was purchased for the grand sum of $19,000 by Argentinian millionaire, playboy, and racing driver Martin Maximo Pablo del Zega Unzul, better known as Martin del Zega. With homes in Buenos Aires, Paris, and New York, he was also a partner in the famed El Morocco nightclub. El Zega's wealth enabled him to indulge in his passion for automobile racing, entering the sport while a teenager just after World War I. He won a sprint at La Plata in 1920 and in 1921 took second place in Argentina's most prestigious race, the Gran Premio Nacional, driving a Hudson. He was a member of the Bugatti team at the 1923 Indianapolis 500, and that same year, at the wheel of a Miller 122, he raced at the Italian Grand Prix. In 1924, driving a 4.9 sunbeam, El Zega won the Coupe de l'Autodrome in Mérimès near Marseille. Driving was in his blood. It was no surprise that El Zega was drawn to the Model J Duesenberg. With 265 horsepower, he stretched J292 to the limit in several races and on the road. Around 1934, the engine failed. Contacting the Duesenberg factory in Auburn, Indiana, he was told the company stood behind their products and asked that the car be returned for repairs under warranty. It was during this time that Duesenberg had introduced their supercharged SJ engine, rated at an output of 320 horsepower. Additionally, they had developed a racing version that utilized their supercharger with a dual ram's horn blower, along with twin Stromberg UU3 carburetors, linked in series. This produced an ultimate output of 400 horsepower. This setup was created for Ab Jenkins' record-setting custom Duesenberg Speedster, dubbed the Mormon Meteor. Knowing that El Zega was racing J292, according to noted Duesenberg historian Ray Wolfe, the spare SJ engine being built for Jenkins' car was diverted and installed in El Zega's car. Duesenberg stamped the new engine with the Phaeton's original engine number, designating it SJ-292. Subsequent histories of Duesenberg, going as far back as J.L. Elbert's landmark 1951 book, Duesenberg, the Mightiest American Motor Car, note this factory engine change that was made under warranty. El Zega reportedly did not use the car much after it was supercharged, and in 1935, Luis Viglioni, racing driver and builder in Buenos Aires, modified the Phaeton by shortening the frame and rear body into what was termed a two-seat bequette. In its modified configuration, the car raced three times, August 2, 1936, in O Gran Premio Venado Tuerto, driven by Jorge Perrin, finishing in 14th position. The second race was Un Gran Premio Ciudad de Buenos Aires, on October 18, 1936, driven by Raul Regante, who was El Zega's friend and former Bugatti teammate at the 1923 Indy 500. It was then purchased by Jorge Perrin and a French mechanic who lived in Buenos Aires, and later moved with the car to the province of Cordoba, in the middle of Argentina. In 1937, the Duesenberg was sold to racer Emilio Karstulovic. He drove it in its last race, on May 16, 1937, in El Campeonato Cordobas de Velocidad, in San Francisco, Argentina. Karstulovic subsequently kept the Duesenberg until his passing in 1961. In 1965, SJ-292 returned to the U.S. where it was sold by Vintage Car Store Inc. in Nyack, New York, to collector Ted Billings. He commissioned a comprehensive body-off restoration. Aside from the shortened chassis and modified rear portion, most of the original 1929 LeBaron coachwork was still intact, and a correct LeBaron rear section was fabricated. The previously shortened chassis number 2158 was extended to its original length, with the rear section of Duesenberg chassis number 2606 donated from car J581, a Rolson convertible sedan that had previously been destroyed by fire. In the mid-1970s, Billings sold SJ-292 to Bill Harrah, where it became part of Harrah's collection in Sparks, Nevada. Following Harrah's death in 1978 and the sale of the collection, SJ-292 was among the cars chosen to form the Imperial Palace Auto Collection in Las Vegas. For the next 30 years, SJ-292 was displayed at the Imperial Palace and loaned for exhibit at the Auburn Court Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana several times and shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2012. It was purchased sight unseen by the current owner in 2014 based upon its provenance and description of its excellent condition. Unfortunately, when it arrived at the new owner's home, he was disappointed in the condition of the car that was then wearing a nearly half-century old restoration. After counting over 200 rock chips in the paint and other cosmetic and mechanical defects, he covered the car in his garage and let it set until 2018, when he started upon what would become an eight-year comprehensive restoration to return SJ-292 to showroom condition. The body was removed from the frame, and every component disassembled. The panels were stripped and refinished in the correct black and maroon colors. Over one year was spent just on rebuilding, hand sanding and refinishing the fenders without the use of body filler to bring them back to correct factory specifications. All chrome and trim items were replated and polished. A scrap of the original leather upholstery was found under the seat and a tannery in Canada was sourced to recreate the correct pattern and color. New imported wool carpeting was fitted, along with a new black hartscloth convertible top. All six wire wheels were re-spoked, re-chromed and trued, then wrapped by new Firestone 750x19 wide whitewall tires. The engine was completely rebuilt, and all other mechanical components were assessed or rebuilt or replaced as needed. One of two rare original Stromberg UU3 carburetors was rebuilt by the experts at Straight 8 in Troy, Michigan. Following reassembly, the mighty Duesenberg 8 roared to life again, running smoothly. Only driven for tuning test drives, this Duesenberg is truly like new. This is a unique opportunity to acquire a significant SJ with a known history from new, including a racing pedigree, equipped by the factory with the most powerful incarnation of the legendary Duesenberg supercharged Straight 8. Of the few SJ Duesenbergs available today, this is certainly one of the and will be the centerpiece of any fine collection.