The Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Co.

ENGINE: Four-Cylinder Rochester Duesenberg “Walking Beam”

HP: 106 

VIN: 359

RACING NO.: 7

CARBURETOR: Stromberg M-4

SPEEDOMETER: Jones, NY, USA

WATER METER: W. B. Jarvis Co., Grand Rapids, MI

SHOCK ABSORBER: Andre Hartford, Standard Model

FUEL GAUGE: U.S. Gauge Co., NY, USA

 Available for Sale Here. 

 Photo Caption:  “Because of World War I’s interruption of racing, things were nearly at a stand-still for the sport in 1918. One significant fact is that the Revere, as well as the Roamer and Wolverine, had their racing debut. These three cars were powered by the new Duesenberg “walking beam engine.” These cars were very successful in the next few seasons.”  

 Revere Rides Into the Future

By Kevin Burkettt

Pharos-Tribune Editor

“Dick Shappy, owner of several East Coast nightclubs and Dick Shappy Classic Cars in Rhode Island, explained why he decided to reconstruct a 1918 Revere Duesenberg Racer: “I’m not normal.”

Shappy came to own what was left of the contents of the Logansport ReVere plant’s inventory after it was auctioned off, giving him a treasure trove of parts, plans, original marketing materials and even what is believed to be the only surviving original owner’s manual for America’s Incomparable Car.

“I had a complete chassis with an original Duesenberg walking-beam engine that once belonged to Adolph Monsen,”  Shappy said. “I had done some research to recreate the ReVere raced in Indy 500 and came across an original body. So we used that to recreate the body panels.”

Shappy said that the vast majority of ReVere bodies have been lost to time. He’s fortunate enough to also have a roadster body that was removed from the chassis being used for the recreation of the 1918 Revere Duesenberg Racer.

Shappy has been restoring classic cars and motorcycles for years. His collection includes a 1911 Cameron Roadster and 1917 Indian motorcycle. He even purchased a 1911 Osgood Bradley Trolley that later served as the Veterans Square Diner in West Warwick, Rhode Island for more than 50 years until it was eventually abandoned.

“I’ve been trying to save things all my life,” Shappy said.

“Right now, I’m $200-$300 thousand dollars in on the ReVere project. I’m about to pick up the car from another shop and bring it back here to complete. It’s probably 90% done and should be finished in 2 ½ to 3 months,” Shappy said in a July 2017 interview.

Shappy crossed paths with Jay Leno as well, who has a 1922 Revere and once placed an ad in a trade magazine looking for parts. That led to a meeting at Leno’s California shop in 2003. 

Shappy, like Leno, considers his work a hobby.

“Sometimes I take money from one project to complete another. The upside of all this is that the dollar value is almost always higher than the cost. But this is primarily a hobby. I do work with museums sometimes to display classic cars and motorcycles, but this is my own work - I’m not really what you’d call a classic car dealer.”

“It’s just a shame that so much of this history has been thrown out over the years,” Shappy continued “Whenever I get a chance to save some of it, it’s just a thrill.”

The Model A was produced from 1921 to 1926, Duesenbergs first production automobile and a significant one to American automobile history. It was the first Amer­ican production car to feature hydraulic four-wheel brakes and its straight-eight engine with aluminum pistons was a first for the American automobile industry. It was designed for racing with a single overhead camshaft, a three-speed transmission, and a 260 cu. in. displacement. Known as “The Grand Prix Car,” as it sported essentially the same chassis and engine as the winner of the 1921 French Grand Prix, the Model A continued the successful run of Duesenberg in racing, and advertised with the slogan, “The World’s Champion Automobile.”  

The historic significance of this car is illustrated in an article titled "The Absolute Final Factory-Produced Model-A Duesenberg" by Dr. John Baeke Auburn Cord, a Duesenberg historian. It is not only the last one that was produced; Dr. Baeke has also uncovered a 1926 photo that he believes shows Mrs. Duesenberg sitting in the driver's seat of this car in front of her residence. He also explains why the body is significantly lower than all other models. See the full article below. 

Original frame with serial number 1202.

 Available for Sale Here. 

The Model A was produced from 1921 to 1926, Duesenbergs first production automobile and a significant one to American automobile history. It was the first Amer­ican production car to feature hydraulic four-wheel brakes and its straight-eight engine with aluminum pistons was a first for the American automobile industry. It was designed for racing with a single overhead camshaft, a three-speed transmission, and a 260 cu. in. displacement. Known as “The Grand Prix Car,” as it sported essentially the same chassis and engine as the winner of the 1921 French Grand Prix, the Model A continued the successful run of Duesenberg in racing, and advertised with the slogan, “The World’s Champion Automobile.” 

This 1926 Model A Touring Duesenberg, Engine No. 1610 and Chassis No. D61H, has a rich history and truly showcases the innovations of Duesenberg prior to the famed Model J. Gooding & Company reports, “According to Duesenberg historian Randy Ema, the earliest known owner of this Model A was Paul M. Gerhard of Gorham, New Hampshire, who was reportedly pictured with the car in about 1940. By 1950, the car had passed to Fred Benson of Wheaton, Illinois, who kept it for close to two decades, participating in ACD Club events. In the later 1960s, the Duesenberg was briefly held by two more owners before being purchased by the respected, prolific collector Fred Guyton of St. Louis, Missouri by 1971. The first of his Duesenbergs, and a very early addition to his collection, the Model A remained with him until his passing. In 2019, Mark Smith enthusiastically added it to his collection.” We have also discovered a tag that reports that the vehicle was “renovated” by the Wolfington Body Company of Philadelphia some decades ago. It now resides in the care of current owner and collector, Dick Shappy, where it’s patina and use-worn leather interior will be kept original, as Duesenbergs are “Built to Outclass, Outrun and Outlast Any Car on the Road.”

• ENGINE: 260 cu. in. Single Overhead Camshaft Inline 8-Cylinder
• ENGINE NO: 01610
• COACHWORK: Millspaugh & Irish
• CHASSIS NO: D61H
• BHP: 88 at 3600 RPM
• TRANSMISSION: 3-Speed Manual Gearbox
• BRAKES: 4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum
• CARBURETOR: Single-Throat Schebler Updraft
• SUSPENSION: Front Beam Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs. Rear Live Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs.
• WEIGHT: 5,000 LB.
• GAUGES: Stewart-Warner DeLuxe, Chicago, IL, USA
• CLOCK: Elgin
• TAIL LIGHTS: Delite Standard
• MOTOMETER: Boyce - The MotoMeter Company
• HISTORY: Renovated by Wolfington Body Company of Philadelphia. Owned by Paul M. Gerhard of Gorham, NH c. 1940 and then Fred Benson of Wheaton, IL. Formerly part of the Fred Guyton Collection. Purchased from the Estate of Mark Smith.

Available for Sale Here.