It’s a Doozie: The Classic Car Story from Duisenberg Automobile

It can be said that many of the best things in life begin with humble beginnings. The same goes for the Duisenberg Motor car. You may have heard the expression from time to time: “That’s a Doozie” or “It’s a Doozie”. These are all references to a great car and renowned car manufacturer: the Duisenberg.

The Duisenberg began life as Auburn-Cord-Duisenberg. Ernest Lobban Cord began his career in the auto industry in the humblest of ways: as a simple repairman for Ford Model T cars. It could be said that this start of the Duisenberg line met with rather mixed fortunes. -Mr. Cord claimed to have become a millionaire on three separate occasions, even before he reached the ripe and experienced age of 21, losing his entire fortune entirely each of the three times. Finally, at the ripe old age of 30 and with real and lasting wealth, Mr. Cord joined the bankrupt Auburn company as its “general manager,” purchased a substantial interest in the company, and proceeded to take Auburn from return to the path of financial economics. security and wealth.

Aside from obviously being a smart engineer, Cord had the utmost skill and ability to spot great talents and talents in others. As a result, he tracked down, hired, and employed notable classics and famous legends in the automotive trades such as Gordon Buehrig, Harry Miller, and Count Alexis of Sakhnoffsky. Mr. Cord then promptly bought control of the Lycoming Engine Plant and the Duisenberg Company itself.

The Deisenberg brothers, Fred and August had originally started out making bicycles in their adopted “hometown” of Des Moines, Iowa, before turning to motorsports, building their first racing car in 1903. The Duisenberg Company itself was formed in 1912 to build racing cars, and its success inevitably led to the manufacture of standard road cars. The first in Duisenberg’s line of standard road and driverless racing cars was the Model A tourer. The Model A “Tourer” has been dated to the year 1920. It can be rightly, truthfully and knowingly said that the Duisenberg road cars were largely based on the knowledge and experience gained in auto racing and were excellent examples of advanced engineering and automotive mechanical technologies of the time. Duisenberg’s line of automotive products quickly established a solid and well-earned reputation on the roads just as Duisenberg’s racing cars had amassed a host of speed and racing records. Amazingly, Duisenberg’s racing group had taken the venerable Indianapolis racing victories in the years 1924, 1925 and 1927.

It can be said that Mr. Cord’s tough leadership and empire building ambitions had created a more vital and more effective combination and Auburn-Cord-Duisenberg proceeded to flourish in no uncertain terms. Unfortunately, Cord’s timing was particularly bad, and all of his projects came to fruition in the same fateful year: 1929, the same year as the great stock market crash. Miller himself patented his version of “Front Wheel Drive”.

The following year, 1929, in which the Cord nameplate was first used, the L29 was introduced and released. Designed by Carl van Ranst, it carried Miller’s front axle configuration. Next in line were cars as quick and fickle as the Auburn Speedster, which had the distinction of being the first line of cars to declare and guarantee that each car had been individually tested to 100 miles per hour.

Hence the Duisenberg reputation for fine automobiles of great speed and beauty was born, cultivated and maintained. It is no coincidence that the name Duisenberg has such a reputation and notoriety among car enthusiasts.

The phrase “It’s a Doozie” is well earned.