The Lyon Air Museum is a premier Southern California showcase for vintage military aircraft and automobiles. Last month the Museum had a special exhibit of ten quintessential Duesenberg automobiles from the collection of General William Lyon.
With its distinctive appearance and powerful engine, the Duesenberg automobile was the embodiment of luxury and lavish detail in the first half of the twentieth century. The cars were custom-built by E.L. Cord and Fred Duesenberg during an era when America’s love affair with the automobile was in its infancy. Duesenberg was an Indianapolis, Indiana-based luxury automobile company most renowned for its high-quality passenger cars and record-breaking racing cars. Duesenberg cars were considered some of the very best cars of their time, and were built entirely by hand.
One of the cars of particular interest to us was the 1935 Duesenberg SJ Gurney Nutting Speedster. This car holds chassis No. 2614, which is the highest serial number Duesenberg. The car was specially built in London for the Maharaja of Indore. It was supposed to be delivered to India, but after Japan invaded China during the First World War, there was fear that the country might also invade India—so many wealthy Indians fled their homes. The Maharaja eventually took delivery of this car at his mansion in Santa Ana, Calif. The car disappeared and was considered lost until its rediscovery in 1959. Eventually, it was acquired by General Lyon.
Other famously rare cars that were on display were a 1929 Duesenberg Model J LeBaron Dual Cowl Phaeton, a 1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Speedster and a 1934 Duesenberg Model J Walker-La Grande Convertible Coupe.
