Pebble Beach Doozy: 1932 Duesenberg J Figoni Sports Torpedo Wins Best of Show
A car entered into a generic Duesenberg class wins it all in Pebble Beach 2022.
It seems weird when discussing the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Best of Show winner that one might describe the surely priceless automobile as a parts-bin special. You know, a vehicle cobbled together using bits from various other cars. The 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Best of Show winner is just such a thing—in a way—as its restoration joined a body by coachbuilder Joseph Figoni that was sourced from one Duesenberg Model J to the chassis and engine from a second Model J. The twist here, though, is that these components were originally mated together in the 1930s, when the car was new.
Originally, this Model J chassis was shipped to E.Z. Sadovich's Motors Deluxe of Paris, where it was fitted with a Figoni Sports Torpedo body. The completed car was run in the 1932 Paris-Nice Rallye ahead of its delivery to Peruvian sugar magnate Antonio Chopitea.
We assume that racing preamble to Chopitea's ownership was known and permitted by him at the time; imagine your brand-new, coachbuilt car being run in a pre-delivery race without your knowing.
The car eventually was brought to the United States, where, in the 1960s and for reasons not clear, the body and chassis were separated.
Decades later, the current owner acquired the two major components and had them mated once again during a three-year restoration, resulting in the blue and black, show-winning stunner you see here, a 1932 Duesenberg J Figoni Sports Torpedo. A Duesenberg last won top honors at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2007.
Check out the full gallery by clicking on the image above.
A lifelong car enthusiast, I stumbled into this line of work essentially by accident after discovering a job posting for an intern position at Car and Driver while at college. My start may have been a compelling alternative to working in a University of Michigan dining hall, but a decade and a half later, here I am reviewing cars; judging our Car, Truck, and Performance Vehicle of the Year contests; and shaping MotorTrend’s daily coverage of the automotive industry.
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