The Peninsula Hotels
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Image Credit: The Peninsula Hotels The 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ Speedster given the Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award on September 3, 2024.
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Image Credit: Drew Phillips, courtesy of the Peninsula Hotels The car, shown here at its home in California, qualified for the coveted award by winning the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2023.
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Image Credit: Drew Phillips, courtesy of the Peninsula Hotels Among the custom touches requested by the Maharaja Holkar of Indore when commissioning the car was a steering wheel featuring wicker.
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Image Credit: Drew Phillips, courtesy of the Peninsula Hotels The chassis was bodied by J Gurney Nutting & Co in London, a firm that had built its reputation with a series of bespoke cars for British royalty.
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Image Credit: Drew Phillips, courtesy of the Peninsula Hotels The car includes custom features such as chrome flagsticks, commissioned by the Maharaja.
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Image Credit: Drew Phillips, courtesy of the Peninsula Hotels A glimpse at the winning Duesenberg’s pristine, supercharged engine.
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Image Credit: Drew Phillips, courtesy of the Peninsula Hotels Fear of a Japanese invasion of India meant the Maharaja’s car was delivered first to his estate in Santa Ana, Calif., before eventually making its way to his homeland. It returned to California in the 1950s and joined the private collection of late U.S. Air Force Major General William Lyon.
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Image Credit: The Peninsula Hotels The winning Duesenberg’s owner, Bill H. Lyon (with microphone), accepts the award while sharing the stage with his family and Peninsula Classics executives.
Authors
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Ben Oliver
