1930 Model J - #J-217

The Zimmerman museum car was a SWB Murphy sedan with a very distinct V-windshield. I do not know if it was a convertible or a hardtop. Definitely not the Lemay car. I'm sure one of you guys has the numbers for it.

A picture of J217. It looks like J340.
http://classic-car-shows-clubs.suite101 ... car_lovers

I know this is an old thread and this place is long gone but does any have an exact address for Gene Zimmerman's Automobilorama?

All I can find is it was at his Holiday West Motel on U.S. 15 just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike's Harrisburg West Shore exit. Which seems to be in West Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Shiremanstown, and a number of other places depending on what website you read.

Not being from the area, am I correct that the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-76 are the same highway in this part of Pennsylvania?

If an exact address isn't possible, how about what is on the site now?
Was it on the NE, NW, SE, SW corner of the intersection? I'm looking for the actual former site if someone can help. Thanks !

I thought I'd get back and let you know what I found out about J-217. I've confirmed that the car was in fact green at one time. (Small chips in the now red paint on the undercarriage and some minor over spray still remaining on the underside of the floor of the car.) The green is a "Doublemint" green, and this may be where the rumor that follows this car starts, that it was once a Wrigley car. There is still a hole in the car's history from August, 1929 when the engine and body were delivered to the factory, until 1938. We may never know who the original owner was.
Thanks for the help that you all provided.

<!-- s:idea: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_idea.gif" alt=":idea:" title="Idea" /><!-- s:idea: --> <!-- s:idea: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_idea.gif" alt=":idea:" title="Idea" /><!-- s:idea: --> THE GABLE CAR IS CURRENTLY BEING RESTORED AND WILL BE AT PEBBLE BEACH IN 2007. <!-- s:twisted: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_twisted.gif" alt=":twisted:" title="Twisted Evil" /><!-- s:twisted: --> <!-- s:twisted: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_twisted.gif" alt=":twisted:" title="Twisted Evil" /><!-- s:twisted: -->

According to the Duesenberg registry the Gable car is still in the hands of the the Blackhawk Museum 1-04-2007 if anything on the registry changes I am sure it will be pointed out here first.

The Gable car at the Blackhawk is a huge lemony-cream-colored JN Convertible Coupe, bodied originally by Rollston but majorly restyled by Bohman &amp; Schwartz for its famous first owner (double Continental spares in the rear, small hood scoop, full rear fender skirts, etc., etc.)

I read somewhere that when Ken Behring still owned the Blackhawk cars, he would keep the JN at his house and drive it. Some guys have all the luck.

(P.S. Engine J-560, 2585)

Is that car a huge coupe?

Ace; The one Duesenburg that Gable did own was in the Blackhawk Museum in California as of February 1999 when I saw it there. Beautiful, Beautiful car. CORDially Jim

Josh, What happened to the one Duesy that Gable did own? Is it still around?

Gable owned only one Duesenberg. He never actually owned the so-called SSJ twin to Gary Cooper's. The car was lent to Gable by the Los Angeles distributor for six months, to generate publicity. At the end of this period Gable avoided returning it, and the car was eventually repossessed. Al Ferrara owns this car. Being the gracious fella that he is, he has never claimed that Gable owned the car. It's others who muddy the waters.

tim johnson wrote: Don,

Thanks for the post. The note in the museum file is clearly signed "Tony" Zimmerman. Did he ever go by Tony?
In the lower right of the note is a very nice sketch of a Duesenberg with the notation, "1930 Duesenberg La Grande", and it looks to be a dual cowl Pheaton.

Even though it's been more than 30 years and copious Yuenglings ago, my Automobilorama memory has no Tony in it. He was always Gene or Mr. Zimmerman. I see that in 2005 an Alfred Ferrara in Ohio owned a burgundy and silver 1936 SSJ that was Clark Gable's but the one Mr. Z had was cream colored (I think...I MUST find that photo) and similar to the Ferrara car. Did Gable own more than one?

Don,

Thanks for the post. The note in the museum file is clearly signed "Tony" Zimmerman. Did he ever go by Tony?
In the lower right of the note is a very nice sketch of a Duesenberg with the notation, "1930 Duesenberg La Grande", and it looks to be a dual cowl Pheaton.

(Thought my first post posted, but guess not. It went something like this:)
Gene Zimmerman's 250-car Automobilorama was part of his Holiday Motel on U.S. 15 just off the Penna Turnpike's Harrisburg West Shore exit. I did his PR work from 1968 into the early 1970s and felt very fortunate to spend so many lunches with him discussing his cars and being able to caress them (but no driving...sigh). His Holiday far predated the Holiday Inns we all love <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt="" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? --> today and was not part of the corporation.

Gene's collection ranged all the way from a very early Bugatti to a Tucker. We took the Bugatti and a Mercer Speedster to a big car show in Cobo Hall, Detroit, and this young car nut was in Nirvana. First time I met Gene I was driving my '63 E-Type, and I think he realized I was a fellow enthusiast, separated only by his millions and my hundreds.

Somewhere I have a sizable box of Automobilorama emphemera, including one photo I'd really like to find which is me posed with Clark Gable's Duesenberg (the Lombard gift).
He sold out - maybe in the early 198os - moved permanently to Florida where he had a big yacht built. Never saw him again, but I can't use that turnpike exit without thinking about what once was parked nearby. Not sure where they all went but possibly some to Harrah, who I think was a friend of his.

Thanks for the help on this. At the suggestion of Jon Bill from the ACD Museum, I contacted Randy Ema in California. Randy had quite a bit of history on this car in his records. Randy has been great and responsive.
The biggest hole I have in the car's ownership history now is from 1930 to 1936 when the car first surfaces at the Felz dealership in Chicago.

<!-- s:oops: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_redface.gif" alt=":oops:" title="Embarassed" /><!-- s:oops: --> Sorry about that. I occasionally get Mr. Bowersox and the late Roy Warshawsky's names confused. <!-- s:oops: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_redface.gif" alt=":oops:" title="Embarassed" /><!-- s:oops: -->

Cris: I think that j217 belonged to Ray Bowersox in Milton PA. Look in the ACD directory for his address etc. He is not the LATE Bowersox.
CORDially, Al Light

The museum was Automobilorama of Harrisburg, directed by an "E.W. Zimmerman," according to the 1971 Automobile Quarterly book in my library. It also lists one of the museum's notable features as a Duesenberg once owned by socialite Doris Duke. Never noticed that before.
The catch here is: a Google search carries several mentions of "Gene Zimmerman's Automobilorama;" E.G. "Gene" Zimmerman is also listed as a founding member of the area AACA region. Still may be worth checking into (perhaps Tony was a relative who ran the collection later on?).

HEY TIM,
RE TONY ZIMMERMAN, COULD BE THE ZIMMERMAN WHO HAD LARGE CAR COLLECTION OPEN TO PUBLIC IN 60S-70S, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN PENN. WAS A LARGE COLLECTION AND HAD ADS IN CAR BOOKS,
DONT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO COLLECTION.

ROCKY VOSS

Unfortunately, I've never heard of him.

Thanks, Chris. I did have the same information, but can only trace ownership back (with many holes) to a 1938 sale from Felz. The information I also got was that it was green and may have been an ex-Wrigley owned car.
In the museums file is the name of Tony Zimmerman, not as an owner, but possibly a contributor to information in the file. Does his name ring any bells? I searched the memberlist here, and didn't find him listed.
I appreciate your help.

Tim

My records show that J-217:
+ Was sold by Felz Cadillac in Chicago sometime during the 1930s (dealt with many used Duesenbergs)--was green at the time.
+ Appeared at Meadowbrook Concours 1987, owned by the late Ray Bowersox
+ Offered for sale at Barrett-Jackson Expo 1992.

Not much, I know, but hopefully it will help somehow.

Hi,

I'm doing some volunteer research on #J-217, firewall # 2236, owned by the LeMay Museum in Tacoma, Washington. The museum has very little information on the car's history. Can anyone suggest a resource?

Also, this is a Murphy body convertible. Do the Murphy body company records exist?

I've already contacted the ACD Museum, and they have very little information on this car.

Thanks

Tim