A picture-perfect wedding car!
A 1929 Duesenberg Model J J-118 adds timeless elegance to a couple’s Auburn, Indiana, wedding after a remarkable history spanning Pebble Beach and renowned collections.
In all the great movies and unforgettable wedding scenes, the couples always drive off in something special, something that leaves a lasting impression as they disappear into the Percival sunset and start the next chapter of their lives. For us, that moment came behind the wheel of a 1929 Duesenberg Model J, engine number J-118, the perfect blend of elegance, power and timeless style. This past fall, my wife, Claire, and I were married at Kruse Plaza in Auburn, Ind., and it is, as we say, a Duesy of a love.
We were finally able to enjoy all the months of planning on our wedding day in October of 2025, but J-118’s story began long before ours. With coachwork by Bohman & Schwartz and a color scheme that’s reminiscent of a Great Gatsby-era soirée with sparkling champagne galore, it has long been one of my favorite automobiles of all time. The car is pinned with fascinating history, having resided in some of the most significant collections around the country.
Affixed with chassis number 2143, this example started life with Derham-built coachwork and resided with its first owner, Art Keil in Santa Barbara, Calif. Following a return passage from Catalina Island in the mid 1930s, this Model J fell overboard into the Santa Barbara Channel. Recovery was possible due to the shallow water, but rather than rebuild the car, Keil sold it to then-Coca-Cola President M.K. Barbee, who had the mechanicals rebuilt and updated the body — a common practice in period. He enlisted noted coachbuilders Bohman & Schwartz to carry out the changes. Among the modifications were a lowered roof, skirted fenders, “waterfall” grille and streamlined, bullet-shaped headlamp housings. Additionally, Barbee specified a repaint in black with matching blackwall tires.
This Duesenberg eventually passed from Barbee through a succession of noted and highly regarded Duesenberg enthusiasts, which included Art Austria; Fred Buess, Jr.; Homer Fitterling; Gerri Brown; Ed Weaver; and California’s famous Blackhawk Collection. Under the watchful eye of the late purveyor Don Williams, J-118 was fantastically restored to its current champagne motif. To no surprise, this example would go on to grace the 18th green of the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and win Best in Class honors. Soon after, Dean Kruse, Richard Burdick of Texas, Greg Ornazian and then noted collector and enthusiast Tom Maoli all owned the car. An ownership history list that would truly make every car envious, indeed.
We garnered much attention as my wife and I drove this Model J away after our ceremony, and then again into our reception hall (making for a grand entrance, I might add), but J-118 is well used to the extra eyes. Twice certified by the ACD Club, it boasts a long list of accolades that include Best of Show and Best in Class honors at concours throughout North America, as well as various trips to the annual ACD Club Reunion over Labor Day Weekend.
Of all the times this particular Duesenberg has crossed the auction block, it seems fitting that so many of those appearances took place in Auburn. Having passed through the Auburn Auction on multiple occasions and spent time in the ownership of several Indiana collectors, J-118 has long shared a connection with my hometown, the “Collector Car Capital of the World.” With that history in mind, it felt right for this Model J to play a role in our wedding day in Auburn.
While many would say this particular Duesenberg is one of the most beautiful closed coachwork examples ever built, and I would certainly agree, my beautiful bride still managed to outshine it on our special day! For a car whose history has already included Pebble Beach honors, renowned collections, and decades of admiration from enthusiasts across the globe, adding “wedding getaway car” to its résumé may seem small by comparison. Yet for Claire and I, it transformed an already unforgettable automobile into something even more special, a permanent part of our own story.
A special thanks to our wedding venue, Kruse Plaza; our photographer, Callie Brooke Images; and to Tom Maoli, owner of J-118 at the time of our wedding, for allowing us to use this wonderful work of art on wheels during our special day.
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