This Duesenberg coupe, delivered to North Castle of Hawaii in 1921, has the distinction of being the very first customer owned production passenger car built by the Duesenberg brothers.
True to the company’s racing heritage, this Model A Duesenberg was the first passenger vehicle equipped with four wheel hydraulic brakes and an overhead-cam in-line 8 cylinder engine. In another sign of the maker’s competition past, the Castle car was fitted with full length belly pans and an exhaust cut-off. Typical of the era, the Castle coupe, car #601 in the factory’s record was produced as a running chassis without a body. The body, by Bender, is unique as it was custom built to accommodate the large frame of the 7-foot tall vehicle.
This car has been in the care of the Castle family for 4 generations, and is the only Duesenberg that is still in the family of original owners. The #601 has just completed a five year restoration by Canepa of Scotts Valley, CA, where it was returned to its original 1921 specifications.
You may purchase a print in our dElegance 2014 online gallery.