1926 Duesenberg Model A Touring, Coachwork by Millspaugh & Irish

• ENGINE: 260 cu. in. Single Overhead Camshaft Inline 8-Cylinder
• ENGINE NO: 01610
• COACHWORK: Millspaugh & Irish
• CHASSIS NO: D61H
• BHP: 88 at 3600 RPM
• TRANSMISSION: 3-Speed Manual Gearbox
• BRAKES: 4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum
• CARBURETOR: Single-Throat Schebler Updraft
• SUSPENSION: Front Beam Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs. Rear Live Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs.
• WEIGHT: 5,000 LB.
• GAUGES: Stewart-Warner DeLuxe, Chicago, IL, USA
• CLOCK: Elgin
• TAIL LIGHTS: Delite Standard
• Moto­Meter: Boyce - The Moto­Meter Com­pany
• HISTORY: Renovated by Wolf­ing­ton Body Com­pany of Phil­adel­phia. Owned by Paul M. Gerhard of Gorham, NH c. 1940 and then Fred Benson of Wheaton, IL. Formerly part of the Fred Guyton Collection. Pur­chased from the Estate of Mark Smith.

The Duesen­berg Automobile & Motors Co., Inc., founded in 1920, was known for its luxury and high-performance racing automobiles. In 1921, founders and brothers Fred and Aug­ust Duesen­berg won a Grand Prix race with an Amer­ican automobile for the first time, catapulting the Duesen­berg into the spotlight. They would go on to popularize the straight-eight engine, four-wheel hydraulic brake system, and become the ultimate means of trans­port­ation for the rich and famous of the time. Its logo, a detailed eagle with outspread wings featuring "Duesen­berg" in ornate lettering, became a symbol of power and prestige.

The Model A was produced from 1921 to 1926, Duesen­berg's first production automobile and a significant one in Amer­ican automobile history. It was the first Amer­ican production car to feature hydraulic four-wheel brakes, and its straight-eight engine with aluminum pistons was a first for the Amer­ican automobile industry. It was designed for racing with a single overhead camshaft, a three-speed transmission, and a 260 cu. in. displacement. Known as “The Grand Prix Car,” as it sported essentially the same chassis and engine as the winner of the 1921 French Grand Prix, the Model A continued the successful run of Duesen­berg in racing and was advertised with the slogan, “The World’s Champion Automobile.”

This 1926 Model A Touring Duesen­berg, engine No. 1610 and chassis No. D61H, has a rich history and truly showcases the innovations of Duesen­berg prior to the famed Model J. Gooding & Com­pany reports, “According to Duesen­berg historian Randy Ema, the earliest known owner of this Model A was Paul M. Gerhard of Gorham, New Hampshire, who was reportedly pictured with the car in about 1940. By 1950, the car had passed to Fred Benson of Wheaton, Illinois, who kept it for close to two decades, participating in ACD Club events. In the later 1960s, the Duesen­berg was briefly held by two more owners before being purchased by the respected, prolific collector Fred Guyton of St. Louis, Missouri, by 1971. The first of his Duesen­bergs, and a very early addition to his collection, the Model A remained with him until his passing. In 2019, Mark Smith enthusiastically added it to his collection.” We have also discovered a tag that reports that the vehicle was “renovated” by the Wolfington Body Com­pany of Philadelphia some decades ago. It now resides in the care of current owner and collector, Dick Shappy, where its patina and use-worn leather interior will be kept orig­inal, as Duesen­bergs are “Built to Outclass, Outrun and Outlast Any Car on the Road.”