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Duesenberg Hot Rod Looks Like the Devil's Work in Polished Rendering

We don't normally introduce breaks that allow readers to catch their breath, but this seems like the natural thing to do when talking about a Duesenberg that has been taken down the hot rod route, even as a rendering. So, please use one if you feel it's necessary.
Duesenberg Hot Rod rendering 10 photos
Photo: adry53customs/instagram
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When creating this pixel painting, digital artist Abimelec Arellano started with the supercharged evolution of the Duesenberg that comes to most people's minds when the name of the prestigious American automaker is mentioned. We're referring to the Model J (more on this exact car's designation below), whose famous owners ranged from European royal figures such as the Duke of Windsor to Greta Garbo and Al Capone.

While a straight-eight motor lifted out of a Duesenberg has been used for a hot rod sporting a 1934 Ford Roadster chassis in the real world, this virtual project takes the transformation to a whole new level by introducing an all-D affair.

Then again, one could argue that the digital wizard somehow retraced the steps of the coachbuilders who created the bodies of the original, albeit while adding a postmodern pixel touch.

For one, when the Model J was introduced at the New York Car Show of 1928 and the 1929 Salon de l'Automobile de Paris, the audience could only admire the chassis and the engine, as that was an era when bodies would arrive in the form mentioned above.

Besides, all this dedication to velocity might as well be considered a nod to the racing pedigree of the company. The inline-8 engine of the vehicle was connected to the racing motors the company had developed during the previous decade. Among others, the said competition units saw the carmaker grabbing no less than four Indianapolis 500 titles.

And while the exhaust now sits considerably closer to the road than it used to, those side tubes remind us of the original's shiny creased exhaust tubes. This type of hardware was selected thanks to the fact that it could be easily bent to make room for the supercharger located beside the engine of the SJ (after all, the artist does mention this is a 1933 Duesenberg II SJ Roadster).

And the 320 horsepower of the engine allowed the SJ to reach a top speed of 140 mph (225 kph), in an era when most vehicles struggled to go past two-digit velocity numbers.

Peeking through the modern wheels of this imagination exercise reveals super-sized stopping hardware. And it's difficult not to think of how the company's original Model A was the first vehicle in the world to sport four-wheel hydraulic brakes in 1921.

Building a hot rod out of a vehicle that many consider the pinnacle of classic luxury is an infinitely delicate task. That is why, to the best of our knowledge, nobody has attempted it in the real world (the record eight-figure price that a 1935 SSJ was traded for back in 2018 is also worth mentioning here). Nevertheless, this virtual adventure allows those who open their hearts to it to select their desired form, as you can make those streamlined fenders disappear with a simple click.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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