The Whittell Duesenberg From Pebble Beach Car Week

I am really having a tough time sorting through all the pictures from our Pebble Beach Car Week excision.  Each time I think I’ve reach car overload I look at the pictures and get sucked right back in.

Times were much simpler when the camera had film and I had to manage the amount of pictures left.  We never used to take hundreds of shots in a day. Now I also feel the need to research and catalog each one too.  I’ve got 10 separate folders under just the heading Pebble Beach 2011.  What in the hell for?  I haven’t a clue.

The auction previews are some of the best ways to appreciate the cars because you can get up close, open the doors and even sit inside.  Equal to this is the reading of the auction catalogs.  Granted I skip over all the blah blah about the history of the brand and those nominal details – I head right for the juicy stuff: who owned it and who had it built.  I love to read about the bespoke or customization of a vintage automobile.  This is interesting.

A high dollar ($9.4 million) car from the Gooding & Company auction was the Whittell Duesenberg.  A model J long-wheelbase, 11″ beyond normal, fixed-head one-off Coupe full of marvelous custom features.  The accompanying 44 page book of history and pictures was a fabulous read.  This was a fun auction.

George Whittell Jr. born in 1882, lived life as one of the wealthiest individuals in California.  More an investor than businessman he had an eye for the exotic and appreciation of engineering.  Lion tamer, decorated war hero,  and pilot were just a few of his undertakings.  His interest in cars went far beyond external styling which lead him to Duesenberg – known at the time as the best of the best.  He commissioned a total of six new Model J’s – the most expensive car in America, before enhancements.  Their BEST customer.

Here is a better view of the stainless roof and rear styling.  Notice the inside of the fenders are red?  Ooops, who has their back to the camera?

It is had to imagine this level of customization in today’s world.  Never mind cost but do we have the patience to allow perfection anymore or have we become too enamored with the illusion?  This is real design for a real person.  The 2nd tail lamp was one of his factory customizations.  Rather than a typical rumble seat the vast rear is just a trunk.  All this brilliant chrome is extra, including the 12 gentlemanly pinstripes cascading over the rear.

Beautiful car, interesting story about a man and his cars. My husband just pointed out a picture of Mr. Whittell Jr.’s Hacker-craft boat on our stairway wall, the famous “Thunderbird”, yacht.  Who knew?