Winner Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2007

The 1935 Duesenberg SJ Speedster, commonly known as the Mormon Meteor, is a masterpiece in all respects, from performance to design. It proudly carries the name of Ab Jenkins on its side, right in front of the drivers cockpit. Jenkins drove this Duesenberg Special to a number of land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats proving to all that its supercharged 420 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine which produced an astonishing 400 horsepower was among the fastest automobiles on the planet. The duo were perfect for each other, Jenkins and the Mormon Meteor, as Jenkins is remembered as a sportsman and a gentleman rather than just a daredevil or thrill seeker. He amassed a legacy known for racing, speed trials, endurance runs, land speed records, and even Mayor of Salt Lake City. 

Two engines had originally been created, and the Duesenberg Special crew took this opportunity to swap engines. Tony Gulotta, an Indy 500 racer, drove the car on its third attempt. The car was driven for 24 hours at a speed of 135.58 miles and covered 3,253 miles. It had captured many new records during this attempt and raised the bar for all other competitors. The 24-Hour record would stand for only a short time, as a car driven by Captain Eyston would increase the record to 140.5 mph in a 24-Hour period.

In winter 1928 the almost incredible 'Duesenberg Model J' was announced. The new model premiered at the Importers' Salon in New York. Fred Duesenberg had created his masterpiece: the large chassis with a 3.60 or 3.90 m wheelbase was very solid with 20.6 cm high side members. Of course there were hydraulic brakes again, but this time with drums with a diameter of 38.1 cm. There was also oversized steering and a 100-liter tank. The huge 6.9-liter engine with two overhead camshafts and a five-bearing, 67.5 kilogram alloy steel crankshaft had a double carburetor from Schebler and even chrome-plated intake ducts. The transmission with three forward gears and the central lubrication supplemented the offer. All in all, the Duesenberg J was perhaps the most carefully designed automobile of its time.

Legends are about the performance of the engine. The official figure was 265 SAE-PS, which corresponded to approximately 210 PS according to the DIN standard. The specified maximum speed was 185 km / h, which was actually achieved with a touring car model. The gasoline consumption was regularly about 21-29 liters per 100 kilometers, but this was within the scope of other luxury automobiles with comparable engine performance. In this context, it should be noted that it has become natural to classify the surviving Duesenberg J according to the engine numbers, not the chassis numbers. This Düsenberg J has the chassis number 2605 and the engine number 577. The car was made for a businessman from Boston in 1936.

The Rollston Company was an American manufacturer of automobile bodies and was founded in 1921. In 1938, Rollston went bankrupt. The company was dissolved. The New York City-based company manufactured exclusive superstructures for chassis from North American and European top-class manufacturers. The closest business relationship was with Packard. In the 1930s, Rollston also manufactured a total of 57 bodies for the Duesenberg Model J and JN.