The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival held, appropriately enough, in Auburn, IN every fall will feature Duesenberg drag-racing!
Our friends over at Hemmings are reporting the return of this event — which is equal parts absurd and awesome — after a 5-year hiatus. (Check out their full story HERE.) But before you dismiss the race — designated officially as the Thunder Run — as merely a gimmick, recall that these 20’s and 30’s behemoths were the fastest, most luxurious and exotic vehicles of their day. The Duesy 6.9L straight-8 engine featured dual overhead cams and 4 valves per cylinder, and supercharged versions (designated ‘S’ models) boasted as much as 400hp–good enough for high-15-second runs down the quarter mile! Not too shabby for 80-year old machines.
Long regarded at the top of the pre-war automotive food chain, Duesenbergs have provided some exceptional diecast offerings. Currently Automodello is offering pre-orders on a pair of one-off Duesenbergs.
The 1934 Duesenberg J Graber is 1:24 and will be available in 2 color combinations. Click HERE for pre-order info.
The 929-1932 Duesenberg J Murphy-Bodied Torpedo Convertible Coupe will be 1:43 and come in four different versions. Click HERE for pre-order info.
GreenLight also offers this Great Gatsby 1:18 Duesenberg II SJ Roadster as part of its Artisan collection.
There have been quite a few nice Duesenberg models released over the years that are now out of production. Among them an Ertl version in 1:18, 1:24 pieces from Danbury Mint and Franklin Mint pieces in 1:24, and numerous brands in 1:43.
You can find out more about the Thunder Run at 2015ThunderRun.com and follow them on Facebook HERE.
