The most rare and distinctive of all Duesenbergs are the few, exclusive examples with coachwork by the finest European, and particularly French, coachbuilders like Figoni, Hibbard & Darrin and this singular example executed by Jean-Baptiste Franay. The mighty Duesenberg J was an exotic, powerful, exclusive automobile, far different in concept and execution from even the largest and most powerful European marques. A Duesenberg J was sure to be the center of attention at any show or concours d’elegance at which it appeared and served the coachbuilders and their clients as a rolling advertisement. As such the few Duesenbergs bodied in England and Europe received the coachbuilders’ most extravagant, beautiful and eloquent designs.
The air of mystery, intrigue and excitement which surrounds J-365’s first owner, the Countess Porceri, only adds to its exotic appeal and exclusivity.
Shipped to France in 1930 as a chassis, J-365 was apparently first bodied by Kellner Frères of Paris as a town car. Having served its purpose in salons and shows, a year later it was rebodied by the firm of Carrosserie Franay with the extravagant sports sedan coachwork which still graces its original chassis, firewall and engine today. It was shown at the Paris Salon in 1931 in two-tone livery. A year later it was displayed again, now in monotone. In early 1934, still essentially a new car, it was sold to its first private owner, the Countess Porceri, known to the tabloid celebrity press of the day as the “Queen of Diamonds”.
The Countess Porceri had “it”, that intangible spark of life, liberty, talent, determination, independence, personality and style that distinguished the bright, beautiful, adventuresome young ladies of the late Twenties and early Thirties.
She was born plain Mabel Boll in Rochester, New York in 1895 but soon emerged on the world’s stage as the wife of Colombian coffee magnate Hernando Rocha in 1922. Rocha started her on the way to earning her nickname when he gave her a million dollars worth of jewelry, mostly diamonds, which Mabel took to wearing in its entirety when she appeared in public. The press loved it. She may have had a bit too much of “it”, however, since Rocha died not too long thereafter, the first of Mabel’s five husbands.
In the late Twenties she discovered aviation, and Charles A. Levine, a wealthy adventurer with a fortune made in scrap metal whose tough, pugnacious appearance foreshadowed James Cagney. Levine had hoped to claim the prize captured by Charles Lindbergh. Delayed by legal proceedings in 1927, Levine and his pilot Clarence Chamberlain in the Giuseppe Bellanca-designed “Columbia” made their record the first transatlantic non-stop flight with a passenger just two weeks after Lindbergh’s feat.
A year later Levine and pilot Wilmer Stultz were joined by Mabel Boll in an attempt to make Mabel the first woman to cross the Atlantic by air. Once again Levine was frustrated, this time by Amelia Earhart. Boll, Levine and Stultz did, however, make a series of important long distance flights which captured the fancy of the day including a nonstop flight from New York to Havana and eventually flying the Atlantic to a heroes’ reception in Paris.
In April 1931 “Time” magazine recorded the marriage of “Mabel (‘Queen of Diamonds’) Boll, friend of Promoter Charles A. Levine; and a Count Henri de Porceri (Polish-born, U.S.-naturalized); in Paris.” In early 1934 the Countess – somewhat intriguingly in her own name rather than the Count’s – acquired J-365. She is believed to be pictured with it in J.L. Elbert’s “Duesenberg: The Mightiest American Motor Car” on page 74 and in the “Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile – Coachbuilding” edited by Nick Georgano on page 152 illustrating the important and characteristic work of Franay. The photo is credited to Fred Roe.
They make quite a pair, with the glamorous Franay coachwork complemented by the slender beauty of the “Queen of Diamonds’” in long white gown, fur wrap and stylishly canted broad-brimmed white chapeau.
Another photo, unfortunately without the added beauty of the “Queen of Diamonds” appears on page 155 of Roe’s definitive reference book, “Duesenberg: The Pursuit of Perfection”.
Mabel Boll died in 1949, still possessed of many of the baubles that brought her nickname. One of them, a rock that had cost $75,000 when bought from Tiffany’s years before, was bought by jeweler Harry Winston from her estate. Winston recut it to an emerald shape of 5/8” x 1 3/8” weighing 45.67 carats and subsequently to 44.76 carats. It is known to this day as “The Mabel Boll” and is frequently featured as one of the most important stones in Harry Winston’s illustrious history.
The “Queen of Diamonds” Duesenberg is no less of a treasure. Its history after the Countess Porceri’s ownership resumes in 1950 when it was acquired by a retired school teacher in France, Henri Beaud. After subsequent owners in France, including legendary collector Serge Pozzoli, and several in the U.S. it was acquired in 1975 by Chicago jeweler Marvin Cohen who commenced a concours-quality restoration including several modifications to the coachwork including vastly enhancing and integrating the sloping roof and body line by taking off the built-in trunk. The hood was lengthened to the windshield and the curved hood side louvers were replaced with chromed screens. The covered sidemounts and rear wheel spats were not replaced.
Cohen opted for a metallic strawberry livery and upholstered the interior in luxurious tan leather while adding opulent interior appointments including fine wood cabinetry with Duesenberg gauges behind the divider with its rollup window. The sliding sunroof opens over the front seat and this is believed to be one of only two Duesenbergs to incorporate a sunroof in their period-built coachwork.
Patrick Ryan acquired the “Queen of Diamonds” Duesenberg in 1985 but both he and subsequent owners have carefully preserved it as restored by Marvin Cohen thirty years ago. The rakish Franay coachwork is accented by chrome wire wheels with wide whitewall tires, chrome enclosures with mirrors on the sidemounted spares, chrome plated pillars with trafficators between the doors, Marchal headlights, dual taillights and a pair of Pilot-Ray driving lights. Many of the details are delightful including the beltline molding with its “uptick” accent behind the radiator shell, the delicately shaped door handles and the cowl vents carefully opened through the lengthened hood.
The late Lorin Tryon is recorded as encouraging Pat Ryan to give the “Queen of Diamonds” Duesenberg a new restoration to its original configuration and to modern concours standards, He maintained it was a sure contender for most elegant closed car at Pebble Beach and stated that, “its French styling with Duesenberg engineering and power are a superb combination.”
An absolutely unique and important example of the most elegant and creative French coachwork on the powerful, strong and luxurious American Duesenberg Model J chassis, J-365 and chassis 2385 have been together since they left the Duesenberg factory in Indianapolis nearly eighty years ago. It is believed to be one of only two Duesenbergs with a sunroof. Perhaps best of all it has an exciting, glamorous history with a whiff of intrigue to add to its appeal.
It is a rare and important opportunity to acquire a singular Duesenberg with the right kind of history … and the prospect of modern concours d’elegance distinction.
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