Rookie Classic #166 - LeBaron Prototypes 1938 Duesenberg

[Otto Puzzell]

For 1 point, identify this car, and the coachbuilder.

Only a complete answer will earn a point!  

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[Mudflap]

Cord, I'd guess.

[Otto Puzzell]

Not a Cord

[billtorrance9999]

An Auburn then

[Otto Puzzell]

you're on the right path; I need a bit more than that to award a point.

[richard cuyler]

Marmon?

[Otto Puzzell]

You have left the path.

[chapel]

Duesenberg 812?

[Otto Puzzell]

Getting back on track. Remember to read the puzzle question before proffering answers. 

[Otto Puzzell]

Let's see if an Expert knows

[bentleybob]

Hupmobile?

[Otto Puzzell]

No

[bentleybob]

LeBaron prototypes for the new 1938 Duesenbergs? (never to eb apart from prototypes?) This a two door convertible, though..THe prototypes had both Auburn and Cord insigna in variations on them.

[tonyola]

This is a proposal for a 1938 Duesenberg built in around 1935-1936 by LeBaron. Styled primarily by Gordon Buehrig, the car borrowed heavily from Cord and was intended to use a Lycoming V12 engine.

[72Must]

I know you've said it's not a Cord ,but I came across a very similar car albeit with a solid roof described as being a '36 Cord 935 prototype by Le Baron ?

[Otto Puzzell]

LeBaron prototypes for the new 1938 Duesenbergs?

Yes!

"LeBaron prototypes for the new 1938 Duesenbergs. There were 5 built. A Limo; a Berline (presently owned by National Automotive Museum), a fastback sedan; a Phaeton (last seen circa 1960 back east) and the cabriolet shown above. The cars were originally penned by Gordon Buehrig with some contribution by Herb Newport and Phil Wright (at LeBaron in Detroit). The cars were to have been powered by surplus V-12 Lycoming engines (optionally supercharged). Dyno data shows at least one was so powered. The project was shelved in 1936. Alex Tremulis was hired Dec., 1936. The first assignment given by him by E.L. was to dust off the LeBarons. Even using the surplus V-12 was then deemed too expensive and Tremulis (along with Davidson) were instructed to amputate the front of the LeBaron prototypes and graft on Cord stub frames with FWD power. That is what they did. The cars were completed later that year. I have notes from Alex as well as hand-written notes and tape recordings my father and I made with Alex. Alex describes what he did to the LeBarons as like ""painting a mustache on the Mona Lisa"". ""I should have left them alone"". Just before control of Cord corp was turned over to L. B. Manning, E. L. conscripted the Berline and sent it to his wife, Virginia at Cord Haven where for the next 4 years she called it her limousine (even though it was NOT the limo, rather the Berline). Manning (who no one ever accused of being a true car-guy) conscripted the cabriolet. So these cars are not Cords (as legend has it) rather Prototype Duesenbergs"

[streamliner]

I guess I'd be tempted to say that this particular Phaeton's coachbuilder would be Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg since they took the rear half of the LeBaron Duesenberg prototype and the front half of a 1936/37 Cord re-skinned by Tremulis, and combined the two.

The actual LeBaron Duesenberg prototype looked significantly different, like this:

[Otto Puzzell]

The folks at ACD modified the LeBaron prototypes. That doesn't eliminate the Lebaron-ness of the cars.