August Duesenberg
Encyclopedia
August Samuel Duesenberg (December 12, 1879 – January 18, 1955) was a German-American automobile
pioneer manufacturer.
when he was five, settling in Rockford, Iowa
.
In the 1890s, August Duesenberg started building and racing bicycles with his brother Frederick
. In 1900, they then began playing with gasoline
engines and also motorcycles. In 1906 the brothers obtained financing to manufacture cars from Edward Mason, an Iowa lawyer. F. L. Maytag
, washing machine and appliance magnate, bought 60 percent of the company. The result was the Maytag-Mason Motor Company
at Waterloo, Iowa
. But neither Maytag nor Mason were experienced in the car business, and the company gradually folded. The Duesenberg brothers went off to St. Paul, Minnesota to work on racing car engines, and in 1913 they founded Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company, Inc. to build engines and racing cars.
With the coming of World War I
the Duesenbergs had cause to change many of their engineering ideas. The catalyst was a Bugatti
engine. This straight-eight engine consisted of two straight-four engines. They were mounted in series on a common crankcase with two flat crankshafts which were both linked at 90 degrees to form a single shaft. The Duesenbergs were granted an American contract to produce the engine for the French government, and it was their experience with the Bugatti masterpiece that led to the design of the famous Duesenberg straight-eight engine. At the end of World War I, they ceased building aviation and marine engines in Elizabeth, New Jersey
. In 1919 the brothers sold their Minnesota and New Jersey factories to John Willys
and came to Indianapolis, Indiana
, where they established the Duesenberg
Automobile and Motors Company in 1920. August Duesenberg was the plant manager who turned brother Fred’s designs into reality. The result was the Duesenberg Model A.
Having raced their bicycles and motorcycles, it was natural that, as with other automobile builders, the Duesenberg brothers would use the Indianapolis Speedway as a laboratory, and for nearly twenty years their own entries participated in races there. Fred designed and Augie manufactured one of the last American "hand-made" racing cars that dominated the Indianapolis 500
-mile race in the mid-1920s, luxury automobiles more powerful than even the biggest of modern production cars. Augie as chief mechanic also supervised and directed the fortunes of the famed Duesenberg racing team. Their cars won seven of the first ten places in the 1920 race, and they built the racers that won the Memorial Day
race in 1924, 1925 and 1927.
Although the Duesenberg brothers were world-class engineers, they were unable to sell their Model A car, their first mass produced vehicle. A minor shareholder unsuccessfully attempted to put the company into receivership in 1923 based on rumors. In 1926, the company was discussing a merger with Du Pont Motors
, again indicating possible financial difficulty. Duesenberg was able to survive to the classic era because E. L. Cord wanted a "supercar" to round out his automotive duo of Auburn
and Cord
. Cord admired the Duesenberg Model A and in 1926 proposed a financial rescue.
Ab Jenkins
set a 24-hour speed record of 135.47 miles an hour in a Duesenberg on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1935. Soon thereafter, the Cord Company
, near bankruptcy in 1937, was sold to Aviation Corporation. After World War II
, August Duesenberg attempted to revive the Duesenberg marque, but his efforts soon foundered. His son Frederick P. "Fritz" Duesenberg attempted another revival in 1966.
August Samuel Duesenberg died in Indianapolis of a heart attack and was interred at Crown Hill Cemetery
, Indianapolis, Indiana.
August S. Duesenberg was inducted into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame (later renamed Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame) in 1963 and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame
in 1990.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
pioneer manufacturer.
Biography
Duesenberg was born in Kirchheide, Lippe-Detmold. His large family emigrated to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when he was five, settling in Rockford, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
.
In the 1890s, August Duesenberg started building and racing bicycles with his brother Frederick
Fred Duesenberg
Frederick Samuel Duesenberg was a German-born American automobile pioneer designer, manufacturer and sportsman.-Life:...
. In 1900, they then began playing with gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
engines and also motorcycles. In 1906 the brothers obtained financing to manufacture cars from Edward Mason, an Iowa lawyer. F. L. Maytag
F. L. Maytag
Frederick Louis Maytag I also known as F. L. Maytag, founded the Maytag Company, which eventually became the Maytag Corporation which was acquired by the Whirlpool Corporation in 2005.-Birth:...
, washing machine and appliance magnate, bought 60 percent of the company. The result was the Maytag-Mason Motor Company
Maytag-Mason Motor Company
The Maytag-Mason Motor Company of Waterloo, Iowa manufactured Maytag automobiles from 1910 to 1915. The company's founder was Frederick Louis Maytag I, who is better known for his development of the Maytag washing machine company....
at Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...
. But neither Maytag nor Mason were experienced in the car business, and the company gradually folded. The Duesenberg brothers went off to St. Paul, Minnesota to work on racing car engines, and in 1913 they founded Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company, Inc. to build engines and racing cars.
With the coming of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the Duesenbergs had cause to change many of their engineering ideas. The catalyst was a Bugatti
Bugatti
Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti....
engine. This straight-eight engine consisted of two straight-four engines. They were mounted in series on a common crankcase with two flat crankshafts which were both linked at 90 degrees to form a single shaft. The Duesenbergs were granted an American contract to produce the engine for the French government, and it was their experience with the Bugatti masterpiece that led to the design of the famous Duesenberg straight-eight engine. At the end of World War I, they ceased building aviation and marine engines in Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
. In 1919 the brothers sold their Minnesota and New Jersey factories to John Willys
John Willys
John North Willys was an American automotive pioneer and statesman.Born in Canandaigua, New York, as a young man he began selling bicycles in his hometown and within a few years eventually expanded into manufacturing his own line of bicycles...
and came to Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, where they established the Duesenberg
Duesenberg
Duesenberg was an Auburn, Indiana based American luxury automobile company active in various forms from 1913 to 1937, most famous for its high-quality passenger cars and record-breaking racing cars.-History:...
Automobile and Motors Company in 1920. August Duesenberg was the plant manager who turned brother Fred’s designs into reality. The result was the Duesenberg Model A.
Having raced their bicycles and motorcycles, it was natural that, as with other automobile builders, the Duesenberg brothers would use the Indianapolis Speedway as a laboratory, and for nearly twenty years their own entries participated in races there. Fred designed and Augie manufactured one of the last American "hand-made" racing cars that dominated the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
-mile race in the mid-1920s, luxury automobiles more powerful than even the biggest of modern production cars. Augie as chief mechanic also supervised and directed the fortunes of the famed Duesenberg racing team. Their cars won seven of the first ten places in the 1920 race, and they built the racers that won the Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
race in 1924, 1925 and 1927.
Although the Duesenberg brothers were world-class engineers, they were unable to sell their Model A car, their first mass produced vehicle. A minor shareholder unsuccessfully attempted to put the company into receivership in 1923 based on rumors. In 1926, the company was discussing a merger with Du Pont Motors
Du Pont Motors
Du Pont Motors was founded by E. Paul du Pont to produce marine engines for the Allied nations in World War I. After the war, the Du Pont Motor Company produced extremely high-end automobiles....
, again indicating possible financial difficulty. Duesenberg was able to survive to the classic era because E. L. Cord wanted a "supercar" to round out his automotive duo of Auburn
Auburn Automobile
Auburn was a brand name of American automobiles produced from 1900 through 1936.-Corporate history:The Auburn Automobile Company grew out of the Eckhart Carriage Company, founded in Auburn, Indiana, in 1875 by Charles Eckhart...
and Cord
Cord Automobile
Cord was the brand name of a United States automobile, manufactured by the Auburn Automobile Company from 1929 through 1932 and again in 1936 and 1937....
. Cord admired the Duesenberg Model A and in 1926 proposed a financial rescue.
Ab Jenkins
Ab Jenkins
David Abbott "Ab" Jenkins was the 24th mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah from 1940 to 1944 and was a professional race car driver. Jenkins' interest in motorsports began with racing motorcycles on dirt tracks and cross country. He then became interested in land speed records at the Bonneville Salt...
set a 24-hour speed record of 135.47 miles an hour in a Duesenberg on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1935. Soon thereafter, the Cord Company
Cord Automobile
Cord was the brand name of a United States automobile, manufactured by the Auburn Automobile Company from 1929 through 1932 and again in 1936 and 1937....
, near bankruptcy in 1937, was sold to Aviation Corporation. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, August Duesenberg attempted to revive the Duesenberg marque, but his efforts soon foundered. His son Frederick P. "Fritz" Duesenberg attempted another revival in 1966.
August Samuel Duesenberg died in Indianapolis of a heart attack and was interred at Crown Hill Cemetery
Crown Hill Cemetery
Crown Hill Cemetery, located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, is the third largest non-governmental cemetery in the United States at . It contains of paved road, over 150 species of trees and plants, over 185,000 graves, and services roughly 1,500 burials per year. It sits on the highest...
, Indianapolis, Indiana.
August S. Duesenberg was inducted into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame (later renamed Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame) in 1963 and the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum
The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum is a Hall of Fame and museum for sprint car drivers, owners, mechanics, builders, manufacturers, promoters, sanctioning officials and media members....
in 1990.