Makes › Duesenberg › Model J › Model J Tourster by Derham · Coachbuilt
Duesenberg
Model J Tourster by Derham
Derham-bodied dual-cowl touring body on the Model J chassis; small series, all survivors accounted for
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Magnus Bäck · Public domain
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- Not yet verified
- Years
- Not yet verified
- Engine
- Front-mounted DOHC inline eight · 6,880 cc / 6.9 LFactory: 420 cu in · converted
- Power
- 198 kW / 269 PSFactory: 265 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Derham
- Designer
- Gordon Buehrig
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 8 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
Gordon Buehrig's Tourster is often called his favourite Duesenberg design, and Derham built only eight in period, all of which survive. It solved the dual-cowl problem with a rear windscreen that rises from the back of the front seat.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Duesenberg Model J Tourster by Derham (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Magnus Bäck · Public domain
Duesenberg Model J Tourster by Derham (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Magnus Bäck · Public domain
Duesenberg Model J Tourster by Derham (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Magnus Bäck · Public domain
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionAll 8 period Derham Toursters survive per RM Sotheby's | 83 | Surviving examples | Independently researched |
| Total model productionoriginal Derham Toursters built in period (all eight survive) | 81,2 | Surviving examples | 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
Derham Body Company of Rosemont, Pennsylvania was the exclusive builder of Buehrig's five-passenger touring design on the 153.5-inch Model J chassis. Instead of a hinged tonneau cowl, the rear passengers got a windscreen cranked up out of the front seatback, and the rear seat sat ahead of the axle so the body and top could be lower than on a conventional phaeton. Ornamentation was kept deliberately plain.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Model J Tourster by Derham.
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 eight3 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 6,880 cc / 6.9 LFactory: 420 cu in · converted3 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 · converted3 Independently researchedSource states bhp (brake horsepower, mechanical). |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Three-speed manual3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 3,899 mmFactory: 153.5 in · converted3 Independently researched |
| 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.
A genuine Derham Tourster has a crank-operated rear windscreen rising from the front seatback (no separate tonneau cowl), a rear seat ahead of the rear axle, very plain trim, and the 153.5-in. long-wheelbase Model J chassis; the RM example carries Derham body number 2323.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
1931 Duesenberg Model J Tourster by Derham, chassis 2440, engine J423 Level B conceptcarz.com
- this is one of eight original vehicles manufactured
-
2
RM Sotheby's Monterey 2016 – 1931 Duesenberg Model J Tourster by Derham Level B
- 8 original Derham Toursters built in period (all eight survive)
-
3
1931 Duesenberg Model J Tourster by Derham – Monterey 2016, lot 222 Level B RM Sotheby's · 2016
- all eight survive
- 420 cu. in. DOHC inline eight-cylinder engine
- 420 cu. in.
- 265 bhp
- three-speed manual transmission
- 153.5 inches
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