This automobile is one of six Duesenberg chassis prepared for the official introduction of the new Model J at the New York Automobile Show in December 1928. When built, chassis 2126 was fitted with a five‑passenger Holbrook sedan body, finished in gray, and served as one of the show’s centerpiece examples demonstrating the power and refinement of the new Duesenberg line.

Following the exhibition, Mrs. F. B. Lewis of Chicago purchased the car early in 1929 and remained its owner for more than a decade. In July 1940, she sold the Duesenberg to Hartshome Motors, where it was quickly spotted by noted early Duesenberg enthusiast John Troka, who purchased it immediately. Troka’s ownership helped preserve the chassis at a time when many early Model Js were being neglected or altered beyond recognition.

During the 1960s, the car underwent a major restoration that significantly changed its configuration. The original gray Holbrook sedan body was removed from chassis 2126 and later installed on chassis 2152, where it remains today. In its place, 2126 received a Rollston convertible victoria body, originally associated with chassis 2525. This kind of body interchange was relatively common in the mid‑20th century, when aesthetics often took priority over historical purity.

Over the decades, the car passed through several known owners, including Mrs. F. B. Lewis, Hartshome Motors, John Troka, Homer Fitterling, and Ralph Marano.