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 he Duesenberg is only
used by Ellery whenever he is not
residing in N.Y. It's an 1924 open two seater with a 'Dickey seat' in the
back and a counter which shows 215000 km ('Finishing
Stroke').The Duesenberg was a symbol of wealth and the luxury dream car of
Americans. It is only as second hand car Ellery could afford this vehicle. It's a
second-hand sportscar ('Egyptian Cross') bought by a sentimental
Ellery who had it accustomed for personal use ('Siamese Twin'). It
uses Goodyear tires and has a sidelamp,it's horn gave a loud uncomfortable sound which
could easily have woken the death ('Siamese Twin').
When investigating the Siamese twin mystery the Queens reside in an country house where
their car is put in the garage. At the end of the story the mansion is struck once again
by fire. ...a booming explosion. "The gasoline in the
garage,"muttered the Inspector. "There go the cars"
But neither father nor son seem to panic and in the next story ('Spanish
Cape') it reappears undamaged. It is but years later we see a changed Ellery
drive a fast Cadillac ('Vanishing Corpse').
In "The Finishing Stroke"
the Duesenberg reappears. Ellery's car was serviced in a garage situated in West 87th street. He had American snowchains installed.
 elieved in proving the
speed and durability of his automobiles in competition, Fred
Duesenberg cars were made for success. During the decade of the twenties, his automobiles
won the Indianapolis 500 in 1924,
 1925, and 1927, while finishing second or third in four
of the other seven Indianapolis events. A Duesenberg was the first 500 mile race winning
car to average better than 100 miles per hour, in the hands of Peter DePaolo in 1925.
Tommy Milton drove a Duesenberg to a land speed record of 156.046 miles per hour for the
measured-mile at Daytona Beach in 1920, and Jimmy Murphy drove a Duesenberg to victory in
the 1921 French Grand Prix. During World War I, Fred Duesenberg and his brother Auggie
produced a variety of aircraft engines for military use including manufacture of the
famous U-16 Bugatti. Established in 1917 in Indianapolis the Duesenberg Motor Corporation
developed a line of high-grade classic American passenger cars, the first to use an
eight-cylinder in-line engine.
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