Fred Duesenberg American automobile pioneer, manufacturer and sportsman of German origin Date of Birth: 06.12.1876 Country: USA

1. Frederick Samuel Duesenberg: Pioneer in Automotive Engineering
2. Early Life and Career
3. The Duesenberg Automobile & Motor Company
4. Innovation and Legacy
5. The Duesenberg Model J
6. Recognition and Legacy

Frederick Samuel Duesenberg: Pioneer in Automotive Engineering

Frederick Samuel Duesenberg, a German-born American automotive pioneer, industrialist, and sportsman, made significant contributions to the field of automobile engineering. Driven by a passion for speed, the American racer met a tragic end near the twilight of his career, leaving him reliant on an oxygen tank.

Early Life and Career

Born in Lippe, Germany on December 6, 1876, Fred Duesenberg immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of eight. Settling in Rockford, Iowa, he was raised by his stepfather, Samuel, after his biological father, Friedrich Simon Duesenberg, passed away. In the 1890s, Fred and his brother August began building racing bicycles, later transitioning to motorcycles with the advent of gasoline engines in the 1900s.

In 1906, the brothers secured funding from the law firm of Edison Mason, leading to the establishment of the Maytag-Mason Motor Company in Waterloo, Iowa. However, Fred Maytag and Mason lacked experience in the automobile business, and the new venture eventually failed.

The Duesenberg Automobile & Motor Company

Undeterred, the Duesenberg brothers relocated to St. Paul, Minnesota, where they developed engines for racing cars. In 1913, they founded the Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company. Having honed their skills as bicycle and motorcycle racers, Fred and August naturally gravitated towards driving automobiles at high speeds, using the Indianapolis Speedway as their laboratory for two decades.

Prior to the outbreak of World War I, the brothers' engines had achieved impressive results in the Indianapolis 500. American ace Eddie Rickenbacker, before taking to the skies, placed tenth in a Duesenberg-powered car in the 1914 race.

Innovation and Legacy

During the war, the brothers began reimagining their engineering designs after learning about the Bugatti engine. This model featured two four-cylinder blocks cast as a single unit with two crankshaft throws angled at 90 degrees to form a unitary crankshaft. The Duesenbergs secured a contract to build this engine, and the experience with Bugatti led to the development of the renowned Duesenberg straight-eight engine.

Despite lacking formal engineering education, Fred Duesenberg had a profound impact on automotive engineering. As a race car designer, he gained worldwide acclaim, and many of his innovations found their way into production cars.

He introduced the first four-wheel hydraulic brake system in the United States and played a key role in advancing other mechanisms, including the overhead camshaft design for internal combustion engines and the four-valve per cylinder head. In 1921, Jimmy Murphy became the first American to win the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race in a Duesenberg. Duesenbergs also triumphed at the Indianapolis 500 three times in the 1920s.

The Duesenberg Model J

Despite their world-class engineering, the Duesenberg brothers struggled to produce their own automobile (the Model A) on a mass scale. In 1926, the Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company discussed a merger with Du Pont Motors, citing a lack of capital. E.L. Cord, owner of Auburn Automobile, offered his assistance, having greatly admired the Model A.

Cord envisioned Fred creating "the most extravagant motor car of its time" and insisted that the new Model J be larger and heavier than Fred intended. In an October 1926 interview with the Indianapolis Star, Cord declared, "Purchase of the Duesenberg plant is the culmination of my plan to give the country a super car—the finest possible product on four wheels."

"Duesenbergs will be built strictly to order, with owners having their choice of body style, coachwork designer, and color," Cord added. "The price will probably be $18,000, regardless of whether it is a roadster or a limousine, and we will guarantee the purchaser a speed of 120 miles per hour if he wants it. Naturally, the production of such a car, which we will guarantee for fifteen years, will be limited. Orders are being taken now."

From that point on, Fred shifted his focus from race cars to luxury automobiles. He remained vice president of Duesenberg, Inc. in Indianapolis, a subsidiary of the Cord Corporation, until his passing.

Recognition and Legacy

In early 1927, the American Automobile Association awarded Duesenberg a bronze plaque recognizing his leading role in developing several fundamental improvements in automotive engineering.

At a meeting of the Society of Automotive Engineers in June 1931, Fred projected that the average highway speed for automobiles would reach 100 mph in the near future. Ironically, two years later, Duesenberg flipped his car while attempting to achieve just that. Today, the speed Fred predicted is still considered excessive on most highways.

On July 2, 1932, Duesenberg was driving on the wet Lincoln Highway near Jennerstown, Pennsylvania when his car overturned. While he initially seemed to recover from a spinal injury and a dislocated shoulder, he developed pleuropneumonia.

Duesenberg relied on an oxygen tank transported from Pittsburgh and briefly seemed to make progress. However, a relapse occurred on July 25, 1932, and Fred passed away the following day, surrounded by his wife and son.

In 1997, Fred Duesenberg was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. His legacy as a pioneering automotive engineer and his passion for speed continue to inspire generations of car enthusiasts and engineers.