1929 Duesenberg Model J sells for $3m at RM Sotheby's

A 1929 Duesenberg Model J disappearing top Torpedo convertible coupe has sold for $3m at RM Sotheby's.

The lot starred in the first day of the house's Scottsdale, Arizona auction on January 28.

It's one of 25 examples of disappearing top Duesenbergs - created by California-based designer Walter M Murphy.

Duesenberg Model J
The Duesenberg Model J disappearing top features a retractable roof

It features a mechanism allowing the roof to be hidden in the body of the car.

The auction house explained prior to the sale: "Chassis number 2199 is one of four Disappearing Top Convertible Coupes that retain their original coachwork.

"It is the first of the four to have been made available for public sale in recent years, the others remaining closely held in private collections or, in one case, in the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum.

"With its unique details and fascinating history, it ranks among that elite class of automobiles considered so beautiful and so desirable that, once sold, it may never become available again."

Another Duesenberg Model J disappearing top sold for £1.8m ($2.7m) in Bonhams' sale of the Frederikson collection last year.

Duesenberg Model Js are among the world's most coveted classic cars. The phrase "that's a doozy" is said to be a reference to the marque (although, as is often the case, this is probably apocryphal).  

The sale is one of a number of major classic car auctions taking place in Scottsdale over the weekend.

A Shelby 427 Competition Cobra is set to cross the block in the second day of the sale tomorrow.

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