One Duesey of a Model Car - With a Mysterious Past

June 30, 2009

DFW Elite Toy Museum Displays Work of Unidentified Model Maker

FORT WORTH, TX, June 30, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The miniature Duesenberg is flawless, from the ski-jump fenders to the letterbox windows, and from the lustrous burgundy paint to the rigorously detailed engine. Collected by the legendary Count Antonio Giansanti Coluzzi, late owner of what the New York Times called "the world's greatest toy and model train collection", this handcrafted masterpiece was acquired by DFW Elite Toy Museum owner Ron Sturgeon in 1990.

"Unfortunately, the Count did not know the identity of the maker," says Sturgeon, who also bought a one-quarter scale Fiat roadster for the museum as part of the deal. "With the Fiat, we got a wonderful letter from the model maker's grandson and established the provenance. We're hoping we can do the same for this little beauty."

And a beauty she is, with a working ragtop complete to the grommets and a female driver in black skirt and high heels. Appropriate for a car that in the '20s and '30s was the most prestigious and powerful automobile on the American road.

Like the Wright Brothers, Fred and Auggie Duesenberg started with a bicycle shop. By 1929 they had introduced four-wheel hydraulic brakes and the straight eight-cylinder engine, set land speed records, won at Indy and LeMans, and their shop's Model J boasted more than twice the horsepower of the second-best 125hp Pierce Arrow.

But the Duesenberg, the ultimate Jazz Age status symbol, was variously bodied. The shop produced engine and chassis, but bodies were all custom made by select coachmakers. This makes determination of the toy's specific model rather difficult - it could be based on an actual car known to the model maker, or perhaps represented his own custom dream car. Yet given just what is currently known about this model, it is already valued at nearly as much as the original asking price of the Duesenberg shop product!

The signature on this piece is "A. Petit 69" and the maker of this car may be BMFA Scale Nationals competitor Andre Petit, a maker of fine airplane models. Should anyone know how to contact him or know more about this model car, please e-mail museum curator Rodney Ross at rodneyr@rdsinvestments.com. The Duesey is on display at DFW Elite Toy Museum and online at DFW Elite Toy Museum.com.

To view the actual model, visit the Toy Museum inside DFW Elite Auto Rental.com at 5940 Eden in Fort Worth, TX. Hours are 8-6 Monday through Friday, weekends by appointment. In Fort Worth call 817-838-RENT (7368); in Dallas call 214-247-4700.

Source: DFW Elite Auto Rental
Website: http://www.dfweliteautorental.com/

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