Duesenbergs.com - 1935 Model J 2592 LaGrande Dual Cowl Phaeton

1935 Model J 2592 LaGrande Dual Cowl Phaeton

Chassis number: 2592

Engine:
J-562 (current)

Year: 1935

Modeltype: J

Body:
LaGrande Dual Cowl Phaeton (current)

Wheelbase: Long

Information

This 1935 Duesenberg Supercharged Model J, chassis 2592 with engine J‑562, holds a remarkable place in Duesenberg history. Originally assigned as the company car of Lucius “Lu” B. Manning, President of Auburn‑Cord‑Duesenberg, it served as the personal demonstration vehicle for one of the most influential figures in the company. Manning used the car to present Duesenberg’s finest engineering and styling to important clients, and naturally he specified something extraordinary.

He ordered the car with a glamorous LaGrande “Sweep Panel” Dual‑Cowl Phaeton body, a design created by Gordon Buehrig and built under Duesenberg’s in‑house LaGrande label, with the bodywork constructed by Union City Body. Compared with earlier LeBaron phaetons, Buehrig’s version was cleaner, more balanced, and visually dramatic, especially on the long‑wheelbase chassis chosen for Manning’s personal car.

Because Duesenberg occasionally needed to complete customer deliveries quickly, Manning’s phaeton body was sometimes removed and temporarily fitted to other chassis. Research suggests that his dual‑cowl phaeton body was used on as many as four different Model Js, including its documented installation on chassis 2592, making this example a key part of the “floating body” history of late-production Duesenbergs.

Manning personally drove 2592/J‑562 for roughly a year around Chicago, where the Cord Corporation was headquartered. In 1935, when a new order arrived and a chassis was needed urgently, Manning allowed his own car to be sold. Chassis 2592 was refurbished and re‑bodied with a Willoughby Berline for its next owner.

After leaving factory service, the car eventually came into the hands of A. T. O’Neill, who removed the Willoughby body and sold Manning’s original chassis to Minnesota collector Hubert Fischer, one of the most respected early Duesenberg enthusiasts. Recognizing the importance of the chassis, Fischer commissioned California craftsman Harold Orchard in the late 1960s or early 1970s to recreate the LaGrande Dual‑Cowl Phaeton body as it appeared during Manning’s ownership. The result was a faithful recreation of Buehrig’s elegant design.

Fischer and his family kept the car for many years, regularly showing it at notable Midwestern concours events. Later, he sold the car to Connecticut collector Gerry Shaw, who brought the phaeton to an even higher standard.

Shaw commissioned a full cosmetic restoration, finished in a brilliantly distinctive livery of cobalt blue with khaki sweep panels, paired with a rich biscuit‑tan leather interior. During this restoration, several details consistent with late‑production Model Js were incorporated, including skirted front fenders and 17‑inch wheels, matching the car’s mid‑1930s styling period.

Mechanically, Shaw sent the car to Brian Joseph’s Classic & Exotic Service in Troy, Michigan, for a complete engine rebuild. Joseph also installed a Leo Gephart reproduction supercharger, bringing the performance up to full SJ specification. With its dual overhead camshaft straight‑eight and the characteristic whine of the supercharger, the car delivers the thrilling performance that made the SJ the ultimate American prewar motorcar.

Shaw cared for the car for many years before selling it in late 2013 to collector Sonny Abagnale, who presented it at the 2014 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, where it won Best of Show, a testament to its restoration quality, rarity, and outstanding history.

Following appearances among several prestigious collections, the car was acquired in 2021 by an East Coast enthusiast and returned to Joseph’s former shop, now Straight Eight, LLC, operated by Tim Purrier, for additional servicing including a valve job. Up till the beginning of 2026 it was part of the Bill & Patti Spurling Collection.

Duesenberg 2592 remains one of the most distinctive and historically significant LaGrande Dual‑Cowl Phaetons in existence. Thanks to decades of careful ownership and expert craftsmanship, the car once again reflects the glamorous configuration that Lucius Manning himself enjoyed.

The body, detailing, and accessories are finished in authentic period style, and importantly, the chassis, firewall stamping, and engine number J‑562 all match factory records, confirming this as a matching‑numbers Duesenberg with exceptional provenance.

Provenance

1935 - 1936 Lucius “Lu” B. Manning
1936 - ???? A. T. O’Neill
???? - ???? Hubert Fischer
???? - 2013 Gerry Shaw
2013 - 2021 Sonny Abagnale
2021 - 2026 Bill & Patti Spurling

Highlights/prizes

- Best of Show 2014 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance

Search results

Search results

1935 Model J 2592 LaGrande Dual Cowl Phaeton

Information

Provenance

Highlights/prizes

1935 Model J 2592 LaGrande Dual Cowl Phaeton

Information

Provenance

Highlights/prizes

Sales