Duesenberg Model J chassis 2518, powered by engine J‑498, is a beautiful example of the celebrated Murphy “Disappearing Top” Convertible Coupe, one of the most desirable body styles ever offered on the legendary Model J chassis.

Built by the Walter M. Murphy Company of Pasadena, California, the car reflects the coachbuilder's mastery of proportion, restraint, and elegant design. Murphy produced more bodies for Duesenberg than any other coachbuilder, and their creations became synonymous with the sporting yet refined character of the Model J. Among their most admired designs was the disappearing-top convertible coupe, a style that concealed the folded roof beneath a flush-fitting rear deck, creating a smooth, uninterrupted profile reminiscent of a true roadster.

Chassis 2518 has particularly interesting provenance. The car was purchased by the Chicago Tribune for Sidney Smith, one of America's most successful newspaper cartoonists and the creator of the immensely popular Andy Gump comic strip. During the 1920s and 1930s, Smith was among the highest-paid and most widely recognized cartoonists in the United States, making a Duesenberg an appropriate reward for one of the newspaper's most valuable talents.

With its disappearing-top design, supercharged performance, and unique history, it remains a fitting reminder of an era when the Duesenberg stood alone as the ultimate symbol of American luxury, prestige, and achievement.