Makes › Duesenberg › Model J › Model J 'Disappearing Top' Convertible Coupe by Murphy · Coachbuilt Ultra Rare
Duesenberg
Model J 'Disappearing Top' Convertible Coupe by Murphy
Murphy body with a top that folds completely out of sight under a hinged panel; signature Murphy design
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 25 Built
- Years
- Not yet verified
- Engine
- Front-mounted DOHC inline eight (Model J) · 6,880 cc / 6.9 LFactory: 420 cu in · converted
- Power
- 198 kW / 269 PSFactory: 265 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Walter M. Murphy Company; Franklin Q. Hershey credited with the Murphy look of the early 1930s
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Murphy 'Disappearing Top' convertible coupe is among the most sought-after Duesenberg body styles, with roughly 25 built by the Walter M. Murphy Company of Pasadena. Its clean, sporting lines made it a signature Murphy design on the Model J chassis.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionroughly 25 built (approximate) | 251 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Murphy of Pasadena built about 25 of these convertible coupes on the Model J chassis, whose 420 cu in twin-cam straight-eight was rated at 265 bhp with a three-speed gearbox. Surviving cars such as chassis 2414 retain original chassis, engine and coachwork and remain Pebble Beach award-winners.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Model J 'Disappearing Top' Convertible Coupe by Murphy.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Front-mounted DOHC inline eight (Model J)2 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 6,880 cc / 6.9 LFactory: 420 cu in · converted2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 198 kW / 269 PSFactory: 265 hp · converted2 Independently researchedSource states bhp (brake horsepower, mechanical). |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Three-speed manual2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | beam-type front axle, semi-elliptical leaf springs3 |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | vacuum-assisted four-wheel hydraulic drums3 |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 3,620 mmFactory: 142.5 in · converted3 |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
True disappearing-top cars were fully custom, identified by 900-series body numbers, with a flush metal lid over the folded top, Murphy's thin "Clear-Vision" window pillars and side windows that disappear into the doors. Earlier standard Murphy convertible coupes simply folded the top into a pile behind the seat.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
RM Sotheby's Miami 2025 – 1931 Duesenberg Model J 'Disappearing Top' Convertible Coupe by Murphy Level B
- 25 roughly 25 built (approximate)
-
2
1930 Duesenberg Model J 'Butterfly' Dual-Cowl Phaeton by Murphy (Hershey 2016) Level C RM Sotheby's · 2016-01-01
- 420 cu. in. DOHC inline eight-cylinder engine
- 420 cu. in.
- 265 bhp
- three-speed manual transmission
-
3
1929 Duesenberg Model J 'Disappearing Top' Convertible Coupe by Murphy (Motor City 2016, lot 155) Level C RM Sotheby's · 2016-01-01
- beam-type front and live rear axles with semi-elliptical leaf springs
- vacuum-assisted four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes
- Wheelbase: 142.5 in.
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