Makes › Duesenberg › SSJ · Rare specification · 1935 Ultra Rare
Duesenberg
SSJ
Short-wheelbase (125 in) supercharged roadsters built for Gary Cooper and Clark Gable
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
- 2 Built
- Years
- 1935
- Engine
- inline eight, DOHC, supercharged, twin carburettors
- Power
- 298 kW / 406 PSFactory: 400 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- J. Herbert Newport Jr. (Duesenberg chief designer); LaGrande bodies by Central Manufacturing Company
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The SSJ is regarded as the ultimate Model J: a short-wheelbase, 400 hp supercharged speedster built in just two cars in 1935 for Gary Cooper and Clark Gable. Cooper's car sold for $22 million in 2018.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factory package productionAs stated: “Only 2 SSJ Duesenbergs were built.” | 21 | 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
According to Sports Car Market, Duesenberg designer J. Herbert Newport drew two special speedsters on a shortened 125-inch wheelbase in 1935, with LaGrande bodies built by the Cord-owned Central Manufacturing Company. They were lent to Gable and Cooper for six months, with an offer to buy for $5,000. Cooper bought his (J-563) and traded in his Derham Tourster; Gable did not, though he later claimed to have owned the car (J-567).
J-563 passed through several California owners to D. Cameron Peck, who sold it to Briggs Cunningham for $3,500 in 1949, and Miles Collier acquired it with the Cunningham collection on 31 December 1986. It sold for $22,000,000 including premium at Gooding & Company on 24 August 2018.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard SSJ.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | inline eight, DOHC, supercharged, twin carburettors2 |
| Displacement | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 298 kW / 406 PSFactory: 400 hp · converted280 hp more than the standard SJ per Gooding. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 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 | lightweight open roadster bob-tail body by LaGrande (Central Manufacturing Company)2 |
| Wheelbase | 3,180 mmFactory: 125 in · converted2 |
| 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.
The two SSJs were identical except for colour and taillight design, with a shortened 125-inch wheelbase chassis, LaGrande open bob-tail roadster bodies and the rare twin-carburettor supercharged engine. SSJ is not an official model designation.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Vanderbilt Cup Races - Blog - Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved: A Special Duesenberg SSJ Level C
- 2 As stated: “Only 2 SSJ Duesenbergs were built.”
-
2
Stunning Automotive Masterpiece ... Once Owned by Legendary Actor Gary Cooper Level C Gooding & Company · 2018-07-10
- 400-hp supercharged twin-cam inline 8-cylinder engine ... twin-carburetor intake
- 400-hp supercharged twin-cam inline 8-cylinder engine
- lightweight open-roadster bob-tail body produced by LaGrande
- specially shortened 125-inch wheelbase
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