The final Duesenberg, a Model J often referred to as the “Bauer Duesenberg,”is far more than just the last car off the line. In fact, it wasn’t even built during normal production. While Duesenberg officially ceased operations in 1937, this particular chassis began life earlier, reportedly as part of a factory demonstrator before being set aside during the company’s collapse. Years later, German-American artist Rudolf Bauer commissioned the car, setting in motion one of the most unusual builds in automotive history. Former Duesenberg engineers, under the supervision of August Duesenberg himself, assembled the car in 1938 using remaining parts—effectively creating a “new” Duesenberg after the company had already shut its doors. But the story didn’t end there.
Bauer had originally intended for the chassis to be shipped to Germany for custom coachwork, but his arrest by the Nazis and the onset of World War II delayed the project indefinitely. The car sat preserved and unfinished—wrapped and waiting—until Bauer was eventually released and made his way to the United States in 1939. Only then was the car completed, with custom bodywork built to Bauer’s own avant-garde design. It was finally delivered in 1940, making it the last Duesenberg ever completed—years after production had supposedly ended. What makes the Bauer Duesenberg even more fascinating is how personal it was.
Unlike most Model Js, which were styled by well-known coachbuilders to suit wealthy clients, Bauer himself sketched the design, specifying unique features like cycle fenders, a sharply raked windshield, and a dramatically streamlined profile. The result was one of the most distinctive Duesenbergs ever built—part luxury automobile, part rolling expression of modern art. Today, it stands not just as the final example of America’s greatest pre-war car, but as a symbol of resilience, creativity, and a company that refused to go quietly into history. While finding a Duesenberg for sale doesn’t happen often, at least Duesenberg Model J will go to auction at Monterey Car Week in 2026.
