UPDATE: The Napier-Railton will be off-site from 7/09/23 - 6/10/23 to mark the opening of the Peninsula Hotel London. Read about our partnership here

Search

Duesenberg Single Seater

Collection Item

Duesenberg Single Seater

The fourth-fastest car to lap the Brooklands Outer circuit, driven by Whitney Straight in 1934.

Count Carlo Felice Trossi, the president of Scuderia Ferrari, commissioned Fred ‘Skinny’ Clemons, an Indianapolis engineer, to build a car that would beat Maserati and Bugatti. Clemons used a 1927 Duesenberg single-seater chassis and a second-hand Clemons engine to create this racer. Completed in August 1933, and wearing Ferrari’s famous prancing horse logo, it ran in the Monza Grand Prix.

In 1934 Whitney Straight, a wealthy American, achieved the second-fastest Outer-Circuit lap at the time at 138.15mph. The car was later raced at Brooklands by a variety of drivers including Jack Duller, and Gwenda Stewart, the fastest lady ever to lap Brooklands.

Bequeathed to Brooklands Museum by the late Denis Jenkinson.

Collection Data

Date Built
1933

Location
ERA Shed

Category
Cars

Technical 
Specifications

  • Engine: 4.25 Litre, 8 cylinder Clemons
  • Top Speed: 150mph
  • Manufacturer: Duesenberg
  • Model: Special
  • Origin: Indianapolis, USA

Races & Record

  • 1933, Monza Grand Prix
  • 1936 500-mile race at Brooklands by Mr R L ‘Jack’ Duller and Mrs Gwenda Stewart
  • Several Outer Circuit Handicap races including the last one on the eve of World War Two, August 1939.