August S. Duesenberg - Indianapolis, IN - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

It seems that early automobile manufacturing in the U.S. was dominated by brothers: Horace and John Dodge, Charles and Frank Duryea, Henry and Clement Studebaker, Rollin and Windsor White, William and James Packard and, of course, Fred and August Duesenberg.

August Duesenberg was a very young child when his family immigrated to the U.S. from Germany in the latter part of the nineteenth century. He and his older brother Fred developed an early interest in bicycle racing which evolved into motorcycle racing when they started adding internal combustion engines to their bicycles. Eventually they got into automobile racing and the rest, as they say, is history.

Both August Duesenberg and his brother Fred had sharp engineering skills even though neither pursued a formal education. Together they had developed some significant automobile engine designs which they patented under both their names. Their Duesenberg racing cars set many records including three wins at the Indianapolis 500 and the first ever win by an American car at Le Mans. Both August and Fred drove racing cars and later sponsored racing teams. August’s interests in auto racing continued through the 1930s.

Adapting their racing designs for commercial purposes, the brothers formed the Duesenberg Motor Company and subsequently the Duesenberg Automobile and Motor Company. Fred Duesenberg was chief engineer for both outfits while Augie managed the business affairs. Fast, powerful and expensive, Duesenbergs became a favorite luxury car of the jet set, and many were owned by prominent Hollywood personalities.

Today, Duesenbergs are much sought-after collector’s items. A 1935 model SSJ Speedster which once belonged to Gary Cooper, recently sold for $22 million at auction. According to one account, the SSJ was the result of Cooper personally requesting August Duesenberg to design a car that could beat any other. Only two SSJs were produced, one for Cooper and the other for Clark Gable. The 1935 Duesenberg SSJ also appeared on a 1988 U.S. postage stamp.

August S. Duesenberg died in 1955 from a heart attack and is interred in the mausoleum at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis alongside his wife, Gertrude.
(Source: Autopedia)

Description: See Long Description above. Date of birth: 12/12/1879 Date of death: 01/18/1955 Area of notoriety: Other Marker Type: Tomb (above ground) Setting: Indoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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