Franklin Mint / 1933 Duesenberg SJ Torpedo Phaeton by Rolston - Twenty Grand / FM Discontinued / 1:24th Scale

Silver

Own a classic from the Golden Age of Automobiles. Wow, What a Duesy!


  The most luxurious Duesenberg ever, the world knew it as the 20 Grand. For in 1933, it had the bold price tag of $20,000—far beyond the reach of the millions who first saw it at the Chicago World’s Fair. Today, its value would be in the millions. Now, the most elegant Duesy ever can be yours—in the form of this sensational die-cast replica.

  Handcrafted with 148 separate parts, it’s authentic to the smallest detail—from the famed Duesy hood ornament to the genuine instrument panels with full array of switches, gauges and levers. Painted a posh champagne silver, it’s a certified classic, just like the original.

  The year is 1933. In Chicago, crowds gather at the Century of Progress Exposition, a World's Fair unlike any other. There, the future is presented to a nation weary of its depression and finding relief in the presentation of better times to come. As visitors flock to the Travel and Transportation Building, they are mesmerized by the stunning 1933 Duesenberg SJ. This motor car is not only the most luxurious Duesenberg ever built, it is also the most expensive. And its price would also become the motor car's namesake—the Duesenberg "Twenty Grand".

  Built expressly for the World’s Fair in Chicago, the "Twenty Grand" would steal the show as millions shared in the aura of grandeur and wealth that surrounded such a car. Even the colour, described as metallic platinum, suggested the sterling quality of such a machine, and perhaps indirectly, pointed toward a silver lining on the black cloud of the Depression.

  Chief designer, Gordon Buehrig, designed the "Twenty Grand:, adapting several of the earlier coach styles, and the noted coach-builder Rollston Body Company, made the design a reality. With polished stainless steel tubing covering the exposed exhaust pipes, and an aerodynamically slanted windscreen, the luxurious "Twenty Grand" exuded a feeling of speed, as well as grandeur. Its long and sleek lines, uninterrupted by superfluous extravagance, elegantly belied the power that lay under the bonnet—a 320-horsepower supercharged engine that was claimed to have pushed the machine to speeds as high as 130 miles per hour.

  The power and elegance that were revealed by the exterior were complemented by the sumptuousness of the interior. The "armchair" type seats were upholstered in broadcloth bounded with silver patent leather. Instrument panels, in the front and back seats, were panelled in two-tone burl walnut with silver inlay.

  Only one was ever built. And perhaps a car as unparalleled as the 1933 Duesenberg SJ "Twenty Grand" should be alone in its class. Today it is part of the Merle Norman Beauty Collection in the San Sylmar Museum where it is on exhibition.

  The Duesenberg name connoted quality and style. The 1933 Duesenberg SJ connoted more than that—it was a machine of dreams, of fantasies, of "Twenty Grand".

Technical Specifications

  • Engine: DOHC Straight-8

  • Displacement: 420 Cubic Inches

  • Horsepower: 320 BHP @ 4,750

  • Suspension: Semi-Elliptic Leaf Spring, Front and Rear

  • Induction System: Stromberg Carburetor with Centrifugal Supercharge

  • Wheelbase: 153.5 Inches (Long)

  • Fuel Tank: 26.5 Gallons

  • Transmission: Warner 3-Speed

  • Brakes: Hydraulic, 4 Wheel

  • Top Speed: 130 MPH


Operating Features

  • Re-created in authentic 1:24 scale

  • Full array of operating features

  • Genuine wood paneling

  • Hand-assembled from 148 parts

 

Part #: PW73

Condition: Mint in the box w/ papers & hang tag

Price: 0.00

Status: SOLD! Thanks Mike

PayPal Logo