Back in the 30’s Duesenberg was the car of choice for Hollywood film royalty – if you had a Duesy you were someone special. Next month at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance one of the rarest Duesenberg’s will be offered at auction a 1935 SSJ short- wheelbase lightweight bob-tail roadster – extremely rare – one of only two produced – one for Clark Gable and one for Gary Cooper – Back in the mid 1980’s I visited Briggs Cunningham’s auto museum in Costa Mesa California – it was Sunday morning and Cunningham was still smarting over Amercia’s loss of the America’s Cup to Alan Bond, Cunningham of course having won the event in 1956 aboard Columbia – Nevertheless he soon warmed to me and asked me if I would help him move a few cars – one was Gary Cooper’s short wheelbase Duesenberg – a simply fabulous driver of the era, a real Duesy as they say and estimated to top $10 million US at Gooding’s Aug 24 auction in Pebble Beach. I’m David Berthon

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