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Durham Duesenberg

  • Mike Dube
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31 Jan 2011 14:21 #19130 by Mike Dube
Replied by Mike Dube on topic Durham Duesenberg
Call me old fashioned, but I'm with Bob on the treatment of scam artists.

Mike
8-100A

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  • Chris Summers
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30 Jan 2011 22:51 #19123 by Chris Summers
Replied by Chris Summers on topic Durham Duesenberg
Durham offered that car at the ACD Museum gala in 2009. The auction was controversial with claims that a partial owner in the car had been bidding, that the winning buyer never received the title to the car, and that Durham had used the car as collateral on a loan prior to selling it. It was a mess. If it was ever straightened out, then it wasn't straightened out publicly.

Chris Summers
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H.H. Franklin Club

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

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  • Tom_Parkinson
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30 Jan 2011 22:27 #19122 by Tom_Parkinson
Replied by Tom_Parkinson on topic Durham Duesenberg
Hi,

(infamously) Hibbard & Darrin Transformable Cabriolet J-254 / 2275


Chris--why infamous? What's the story line here?

--Tom

With brakes, two cylinders are better than one.

Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, The Hardtop News Magazine, the Journal of the Michiana Dunes Region, Lambda Car Club International

See pix of 1509A here: mbcurl.me/YCSE

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  • Bob Roller
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30 Jan 2011 20:26 #19120 by Bob Roller
Replied by Bob Roller on topic Swindlers and other schemers
In a well organized society,people who swindle and lie for personal gain should become acquainted with a firing squad.
Wasn't one of these Duesenbergs being used as collateral and then sold and the money misdirected away from the legitimate debt? Which one was it or am I mistaken?

Bob Roller

Bob Roller

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25 Jan 2011 03:50 #19083 by Ohio AMX
Replied by Ohio AMX on topic Durham Duesenberg
Well this is indeed good news for the Fair Finance victims like my mother, who wont even tell us how much was lost to these maggots. Too bad she can only hope to recover pennies compared to the amount invested with these crooks after all of the attorneys are paid and other expenses are covered.

Fair Finance was a secure and reputable company in business since the 1930's, until being sold to Durham and James Cochran in 2002 when they immediately began looting it. At least my mom still has dad's American Greetings pension or she would have been ruined like so many others.

Scott Campbell
Medina, OH

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  • Chris Summers
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24 Jan 2011 20:33 #19078 by Chris Summers
Replied by Chris Summers on topic Durham Duesenberg
At various times Durham owned LeBaron Convertible Berline J-103 / 2127, Derham Phaeton J-116 / 2136, and (infamously) Hibbard & Darrin Transformable Cabriolet J-254 / 2275. He owns none of the above presently. Those are the ones I can think of, off the top of my head. There may well have been others.

He liked silver cars, apparently.

It should also be mentioned that another innocent victim of the Durham collapse was "Car Collector" magazine.

Chris Summers
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So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

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  • Mike Dube
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24 Jan 2011 17:42 #19073 by Mike Dube
Replied by Mike Dube on topic Durham Duesenberg
We had one of his Auburns, the 8-125 sedan that was once owned by George Raft, @ the Stan Hywet Father's Day car show a couple of years ago. Looks like RM auctioned it in January of 2010.

Mike
8-100A

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  • Mike Dube
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24 Jan 2011 16:05 #19072 by Mike Dube
Replied by Mike Dube on topic Durham Duesenberg
Chris,

I was pretty sure the speedster was Edward Herrmann's. It seems to me there was a cable TV show a few years back on its restoration. An RM restoration usually means a powder coated frame, which if he had it certified, made our certification team's work a lot harder. Didn't know the Cord family connection.

A nice car, but unfortunate choice of colors if you ask me. On the other hand, it sure brought a good price.

Mike
8-100A

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  • Chris Summers
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24 Jan 2011 02:06 #19069 by Chris Summers
Replied by Chris Summers on topic Durham Duesenberg
Other cars were sold at previous RM auctions going back a couple of years, even before his legal troubles; I know O'Quinn wound up with one of the Duesenbergs which is likely now also seeking a new home.

I would like very much to know who wound up with both Duesenbergs sold in Arizona (this car and J-243 / 2270). If anyone learns, please let me know so I keep our records complete. As always, mention in the Duesy Notes in the newsletter is optional at owner's discretion.

The Auburn speedster has a long and fascinating history beyond what was mentioned in the catalog. Edward Herrmann got that car in 1999 from Sally Cord Hummel, Bill's mother and E.L.'s daughter. It had been on loan to the museum from Mrs. Hummel since she bought it from Harrah's in 1985. I think it had been in Harrah's since the early 1950s and was bought from charter member Bob Graham, if I'm not mistaken.

Ken Purdy's "Motorcars of the Golden Past" has a color photo of the car with its pre-1999 restoration. That's the only car I can think of that was in the museum twice, with both its first and second restorations. I am sure that the museum would like to have kept that car this time around.

Chris Summers
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So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

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  • Mike Dube
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23 Jan 2011 23:27 #19068 by Mike Dube
Durham Duesenberg was created by Mike Dube
Those who follow the auctions know that Tim Durham's 1929 J sold @ RM recently for $1.125M. I believe this was the car featured in the Elvis Presley movie Spinout. His 1929 Auburn 8-90 speedster, which I believe is the one that had been on loan to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, was hammered sold for $250K, which may well be a record for one of these. There were a few other of his cars listed, but what happened to the rest of his large collection?

This is of special interest to NE Ohioans as these cars, among others, were being sold to pay down the bankruptcy cost of Fair Finance whose headquarters had been in Akron OH. Donald Fair of Akron, himself a car collector, had sold his profitable & well run company to Durham a number of years ago.

Mike
8-100A

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