Duesenbergs sold new to germany and Duesenberg bodied by Fig

Bob Roller wrote:
...In one magazine article I read that some lady art fancier or maybe a critic gave Bauer Hell for squandering money on outrageous motor cars...

Bob Roller

Hello Bob,

I think that lady was Hilla von Rebay (german born painter), she met Solomon R. Guggenheim in 1927 and became a close confidant to him. Mrs. von Rebay became founding director and curator of the Solomon R. Guggenheim foundation.
She introduced Rudolf Bauer to S.Guggenheim in 1928 and induced that Guggemheim sponsor R. Bauer for the next two decades.

So the money for the Duesy was caused by her but paid by Guggenheim.

Hilla von Rebay and R. Bauer met the first time in Germany during the first WW. and became lovers for some time.

Matt

Bob, "currency speculation" was a standard charge used by the Nazis to strip Jews of their money. Just being Jewish in Germany in the 1930s was enough to "get in trouble with the Nazis".

I think I read somewhere that the Model "A" Duesenbergs had a represntation in Berlin but I may be off base on that. Motor DeLux in Paris was the "J" dealer in the pre-war years and I think about 60 "J"and "SJ"s were sold thru that operation. Any new "J"s that turned up in Germany were probably purchased in France. After 1933,and I'm speculating now,any wealthy German buying a new Duesenberg could have been considered as "DIsloyal to the Fatherland."

Bob Roller

Bob, I don't believe so. America was neutral for two more years after the start of WWII in Europe in 1939. Hitler did whatever he could to make nice to America, even though he actually hated and feared us. He did not want to "awaken the sleeping giant" as Admiral Yamomoto feared Japan had done with Pearl Harbor.

Besides, haven't WWII movies shown us many Nazis riding in those "German" Duesenbergs?

Josh Malks wrote: Bob, I don't believe so. America was neutral for two more years after the start of WWII in Europe in 1939. Hitler did whatever he could to make nice to America, even though he actually hated and feared us. He did not want to "awaken the sleeping giant" as Admiral Yamomoto feared Japan had done with Pearl Harbor...

Hello Josh,

you are not wrong with that, but lately since 1940 the USA supported Great Britain with huge amounts of Oil, food and warmaterial, there was an undeclared war between US and Hitler-Deutschland. I mean the german submarine attacks to atlantic convois.

It was a dark age and I hope something like that will never happen again!

I agree with Bob Rollers opinion, as I know the european importer was in Paris and for to buy a foreign car it had to be paid a high import-custom-tax, witch made foreign cars very expensive.

Nazi-Officials drove Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and Horch cars. It could be possible that after the occupation of france there were high prices cars inpounded by the Wehrmacht, maybe Duesebergs but I haven't seen a foto of something like that.

Josh Malks wrote:
...Besides, haven't WWII movies shown us many Nazis riding in those "German" Duesenbergs?

Don't forget movies never show reality at all, it is fiction.

Matt

Josh's comment related to Duesenbergs being used as a big, imposing car in movies that "looked" like the car Hitler would drive or be driven in. At least one J was displayed in carnivals as "Hitler's car" and a well-known Judkins Berline was sent to the scrappers during WWII by its owner because the owner thought it was German. Mistaken identity.

It is feasible that like a lot of luxury cars left in occupied countries before the war, a few European Duesenbergs were commandeered by the occupying forces. I was told that Murphy Convertible Coupe J-527 / 2406 (former J-401) was used briefly in Paris in such a manner and that there was documentation held by a former owner to that effect.