1930 Duesenberg Model J estimated at $2m

A 1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy dual-cowl phaeton is estimated at $1.6m-2m ahead of RM Sotheby's Hershey auction.

The car is one of just three Model Js to feature coachmaker Walter Murphy's original open design.

Duesenberg Model J
The Duesenberg Model J originally belonged to 'Mayonnaise King' John F Howard

It originally belonged to industrialist John F Howard, also known as the "Mayonnaise King" for his hugely successful line of condiments.

He had this model shipped new to his home in Mexico.

In 1945 he sold it on to a dealership and it passed through a series of owners, including a local film studio. It appears in the 1956 melodrama Corazon Salvaje (Savage Heart).  

Its last Mexican owner put it into storage by bricking it up behind a wall in a parking lot in Mexico City. An American collector discovered it in 1962 and it was returned to the States.  

The sale will also feature another Duesenberg, a 1927 Model A/Y Phaeton prototype, which is valued at $450,000-550,000.

It's one of only two examples of this model ever made and the sole survivor.

Gord Duff, a car specialist at RM Sothbey's, says: "Our Hershey auction boasts a great track record for selling world-class Duesenbergs; we're thrilled to continue the tradition this October as we present what are surely two of the most significant Duesenbergs to come to market in recent years."

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