Duesenberg revival delayed
August has come and gone, and yet, there's been no new Duesenberg II Torpedo Coupe. The Mercedes CL500-based revival of what could arguably be described as the ne plus ultra of American automakers has had its introduction pushed back to mid 2008. Duesenburg Custom Coach LLC is undertaking the effort, and rather than rush a half-baked car to market, they've moved the goalpost so that the new Duesy doesn't turn into an embarrassment. The Torpedo coupe will have two powertrain options, one conventional, and the other a type of rotating engine called the Cylindrical Engine Model. The CEM appears to be based on pumps produced by EP Industries, and can deliver 300 horsepower while returning consumption as low as 70 mpg.
Joining the Torpedo Coupe is a revived Murphy Roadster fitted with a V10 powerplant and underpinned by Ford hardware. When the cars are finally ready for sale, you'll be able to buy them exclusively from Old Yesterday Classic Autos in San Diego. You've got to give them credit for insisting that it's done right, and in the meantime, you can visit their website and purchase collectibles and apparelwhile you await your chance to roll in Roaring-Twenties style.
[Source: Hemmings]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BLS 9:41AM (9/26/2007)
I would check on that rotary engine claim. Last I heard Eddie Paul was pissed that they were still using his name to drum up investment funds.
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Eric M 9:42AM (9/26/2007)
Now that's a Duesy!
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AZ 9:47AM (9/26/2007)
Forgive me for saying this, but the concept drawing's front looks like a stretched Bentley GT, rear looks like a Lamborghini Gallardo.
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AZ 9:50AM (9/26/2007)
It's Gallardo's front, btw.
Panda 10:36AM (9/26/2007)
Its only a concept drawing and ppl are already laying into it..Oh and I dont remember the Gallardo having a front mounted radiator grill. Comparing it to a Bentley Conti GT is also puzzling. Wait till a built concept arrives then we can all start.
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Alex 10:36AM (9/26/2007)
Can anyone provide more information on this engine? If this thing is as great as EPI is touting it, why is no one else looking into it?
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mk 11:35AM (9/26/2007)
It may be patented. And it is axial, but it isn't truly rotary, because it is still reciprocating, and the pistons aren't moving in a circular motion with the drive/driven-shaft, depending on whether in pump or engine configuration. It was developed as a pump, and can be used as an engine, since the two are very closely related.
The concept is very interesting, though. 12 cylinders in 6 reciprocating pairs, mechanically moving on an outer cam, pumping on both strokes 'up' and 'down'. (although it is laid sideways, axial to the drive/driven shaft.)
The pistons don't move on a rotating crankshaft, but drive rotation via the outer cam, so the pistons can be nearly solid, and the assembly can be quite compact.
It is a very interesting concept. A working prototype engine would be quite interesting.
With new automotive technologies, like direct injection, and individual throttle control, without direct poppet valves, or even HCCI spark-less ignition (compression ignition of gasoline, similar to diesel) this could be quite the efficient powerhouse, after some years of development, and proving the concept's capability.
Not to mention powering on-board electrical/hybrid systems, or burning hydrogen, if the recent radio-frequency experiments prove productive in releasing some hydrogen from sea water.
All this, and they are currently saying that it is testing at 2hp per pound of engine weight. 300hp/150lbs., 400/200... sounds pretty darn good. With development, there may even be some improvement in efficiency.
The technical aspects of this pump/engine are more interesting to me than the car itself, which is saying something.
5-10 11:24AM (9/26/2007)
Because it probably isn't as good as they are suggesting...
Something this promising would provide an enormous edge in the highly competitive automotive world. They would be on it like nobody's business if they thought it would deliver the goods.
Carlos 11:16AM (9/26/2007)
wow that looks tacky - its just like every other retro hot rod interpretation of a classic. Foose was coming up with similar drawings 15years ago.
So Bugatti gets a revival in Europe with a gorgeous $1.4mil supercar but an American revival of the most luxurious American vehicle, Duesenburg, gets a benz chassy, a kit car /hot rod body and a weird rotary engine that only produces 300hp???? why not use the AMG engine that matches that benz body your working with?
and the drawings dont even keep to scale at the diffrent angles - this does not look good for the Duesenburg name.
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Yago Bal 11:03AM (9/26/2007)
It's really sad what they are doing to the Duesenberg brand...
That Murphy Roadster senseless retro car... makes me wanna cry and vomit: it's built on a Ford chassis and has a Ford engine.
But even the Torpedo, based on a Mercedes: the Duesenbergs were the top of the tops, second to none, in par with Rolls Royce. Unique and special.
There should be a law to prevent people from ruining names such as this: Duesenberg's legacy belongs to auto history.
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Toy Yoda 11:40AM (9/26/2007)
The engine that they are talking about is not theoretical, and have been around for at least 60 years. The other name for them is swashplate engine, wobble plate engine, barrel engine, or cam engine.
They aren't rotary engines like a Mazda rotary engine, and that is actually is misleading. The easiest one to describe in words would be this: The engine has pistons arranged in an O-ring fashion and all parallel to each other. The crank is a sinusoidal ring and the connecting rods roll over the ring, pushing the ring in a circular motion. This allows the crank to extract useful mechanical work.
There are so many outrageous claims about this motor that it's hard to separate fact from fiction and I think that's one reason why they haven't gained any wider acceptance. Plus also, I believe the 'standard' motor has had a much longer head start to "win" the race. Here's what I've gained so far about the motor characteristics.
1. Very efficient.
2. Very smooth.
3. Compact and light.
4. Less moving parts than a normal motor, so more reliable.
5. More torque than a car chassis can handle.
6. The configuration of it's motors have lead it to be used in torpedoes.
But the actual performance numbers, I don't know. Look at wikipedia for more info and the company "axial vector engines" which has a nice animation of their version of the motor.
As far as investing in the next big thing. I would stay away from Axial Vector Engines. If you do a little digging, it seems to have a shady past.
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Droo 2:44PM (9/26/2007)
Did I miss the website link?
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J M C 3 12:23PM (9/26/2007)
Speaking of revived marques...What's happening to Maybach?Is Benz phasing it out?
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ebm14 5:41PM (9/26/2007)
This seems really exciting and I hope to see the return of such a legend. America really needs to show the world
that we are still capable of building innovative cars.
I do wish Caddy would do something so different that Lexus and BMW would start to shiver. I do know that Lutz was going to introduce a powerhouse V16 coupe but it seems the project might have got lost with the high expense and environmental advocates.
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ebm14 5:41PM (9/26/2007)
This seems really exciting and I hope to see the return of such a legend. America really needs to show the world
that we are still capable of building innovative cars.
I do wish Caddy would do something so different that Lexus and BMW would start to shiver. I do know that Lutz was going to introduce a powerhouse V16 coupe but it seems the project might have got lost with the high expense and environmental advocates.
Reply
SPG 7:46PM (9/26/2007)
A few less Zimmer and Tiffany customers every year now.
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SPG 7:46PM (9/26/2007)
A few less Zimmer and Tiffany customers every year now.
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