Frederick S. Duesenberg Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

German-born Frederick Samuel Duesenberg (1877-1932) and his brother, August (1879-1955), founded the Duesenberg Company after first building cars for Mason Motors in Des Moines, Iowa. Frederick, the engineering specialist of the two, patented the Duesenberg motor in 1913.In 1921, the Duesenberg automobile won the French Grand Prix at Le Mans - the first win in European racing for an American automobile manufacturer. The Duesenberg, driven by Jimmy Murphy, had a three-speed gearbox and four-wheel brakes. Prior to 1921, all cars were equipped with brakes only on the back wheels; due to the success and increased safety factor, four-wheel brakes were later adopted for passenger cars. Duesenbergs won the Indianapolis 500 in 1924, 1925 and 1927.