The year is 1933. In Chicago, crowds gather at the Century of Progress Exposition, a World's Fair unlike any other. There, the future is presented to a nation weary of its depression and finding relief in the presentation of better times to come. As visitors flock to the Travel and Transportation Building, they are mesmerized by the stunning 1933 Duesenberg Model SJ Torpedo Sedan. This car is not only the most luxurious Duesenberg ever built, it is also the most expensive. And its price would become the car's namesake - the Duesenberg "Twenty Grand."
Built expressly for the World's Fair in Chicago, the "Twenty Grand" would steal the show as millions shared in the aura of grandeur and wealth that surrounded such a car. Even the color, described by the factory as "Metallic Platinum", suggested the sterling quality of such a machine, and indirectly pointed to the silver lining of the dark cloud of the Depression.
Chief Designer, Gordon Buehrig, designed the "Twenty Grand," adapting several of the earlier coach styles, and the noted coach builder Rollston, made the design a reality. With polished stainless steel tubing covering the exposed exhaust pipes, and an aerodynamically slanted windshield, the luxurious "Twenty Grand" exuded a feeling of speed, as well as grandeur. Its long, sleek lines, uninterrupted by superfluous extravagance, elegantly belied the power that lay under the hood - a 385 horsepower supercharged straight eight that was guarenteed to push the machine to speeds as high as 130 mph.
The power and elegance that were revealed by the exterior were complemented by the sumptuousness of the interior. The "armchair" seats were upholstered in broadcloth bounded with silver patent leather. Instrument panels, in the front and back seats, are paneled in two tone burl walnut with silver inlay.
Only one was ever built. And perhaps a car as unparalleled as the 1933 Duesenberg SJ 'Twenty Grand' should be alone in its class. The Duesenberg name connoted quality and style. The 1933 Duesenberg SJ 'Twenty Grand' connoted more than that - it was a machine of dreams, of fantasies, of "Twenty Grand."
| Engine | 420 CID supercharged Inline Eight |
| Horsepower | 385 |
| Transmission | Warner; 3 forward speeds + reverse |
| Wheelbase | 153.5" |
| Production Years | 1933 |
| Cars Produced | 1 |
| Price | $20,000 |
