You might see “2027 Duesenberg Model X” and assume that a company is reviving the brand for next year. However, 2027 marks the centenary of the original Model X. The Model X represents an incredible missing link in American automotive history, yet it often gets overshadowed by its renowned big brother, the Model J. Between 1926 and 1927, only 13 of these chassis were built, making it one of the rarest production cars on Earth.
As we approach its centenary, let’s explore what makes the Model X so distinctive.
Past History
In the mid-1920s Fred and August Duesenberg had a problem. Technological marvel, the Model A was, but it did not have the stunning design to appeal to the ultra-rich. The Model X was designed to fix this, a giant leap ahead in evolution. But when they started to develop the Model X, Errett Lobban Cord bought the company.
Cord wasn’t content with just making better existing models he wanted to build the world’s greatest automobile regardless of the expense. He promptly turned the whole company’s energy and resources to what would become the massive, world-famous Model J. This rapid change all well killed the Model X before it got off the ground.
Engineering & Performance Specifications
Under the hood, the Model X had a highly worked-over version of the Model A’s engine. It was a pure engineering miracle for its day. It was constructed so you could cruise at high speed all day long without stressing the mechanics.
The brothers added a new crankshaft, tweaked the valve train and timing and moved the water pump and generator to squeeze another 12 horsepower out of the old model A engine. Biggest telltale of an X engine? All the manifolds were shifted to the right side. They also updated the chassis, stretching the wheelbase to 136 inches and adding a new hypoid differential and hydraulic brakes on all four wheels.
How it Survived?
This sudden shift by Cord to the Model J meant the factory only managed to produce around 13 Model X chassis and even fewer with custom coachwork bodies. Fast-forward to today, and experts believe only five complete cars remain.
Notable ones still around include:
- McFarlan Boat Roadster: A one-off boattail speedster built for the 1927 New York Auto Salon. If you’ve ever seen those famous Auburn speedsters, the Locke Dual-Cowl Phaeton is the car that inspired them.
- The Locke Dual-Cowl Phaeton: Originally delivered to a paper mill owner, this car later sat for decades in the renowned Harrah’s Automobile Collection.
- Jay Leno actually found a remarkably well-preserved sedan version in the early 2000s and added it to his collection. It’s such an unbelievably rare car that you almost never see a Model X for sale. It’s a once-in-a-generation event.
Looking back at the Model X as we approach 2027, it’s crazy to think of it as this ultimate “what if” of the auto world. It was a brilliant piece of engineering that just got unlucky. Completely overshadowed by the debut of the greatest American luxury car ever made.
