5 Most Beautiful Cars of All Time

1931 Duesenberg Model J Long Wheelbase Coupe

The Dusenberg Model J is the most beautiful American car ever.

It is "astonishingly gorgeous, a massive car that set a standard for design and engineering in the early part of the 20th century," Oldham said.

According to Edmunds, "It has a grille that could be a temple, a hood punctured by gracefully curved louvers, and fenders that look like a wave cresting over the tires and an exquisite aluminum roof. "

While the chassis was purchased from Duesenberg, the body had to be purchased separately: Edmunds prefers a model built by a coachbuilder called Murphy. "All are beautiful, but the Murphy model J coupe is astonishingly gorgeous," Oldham said.

The Model J debuted at the New York Car Show of 1928. In retrospect, given that a Depression was in the immediate future, the timing was perhaps not the best. Wikipedia said the chassis cost $8,500 and the completed base model cost between $13,000 and $19,000, at a time when the average U.S. physician earned less than $3,000 a year.

We should add that the car contributed to the language the expression, "It's a Duesy," which today is often written as "It's a doozy."

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