1933 Duesenberg Model SJ ‘Riviera’ Phaeton
Brunn & Company produced only three Riviera Phaeton bodies for the Model J chassis, with two of those mounted on supercharged SJ specifications.
The design featured an ingenious fully disappearing convertible top: the fabric bundles neatly before swinging back into a compartment beneath the reverse-hinged rear deck. This is widely regarded as the first four-door convertible to completely conceal its top when folded.
The close-coupled four-door convertible sedan sits on the shorter 142.5-inch wheelbase, giving the design better proportions than many of the marque’s lengthier configurations. Heavy body moldings around the passenger compartment lend a distinctly nautical character to the coachwork.
SJ variants received factory supercharging via a Schwitzer-Cummins centrifugal unit, pushing output to 320 horsepower from the 420 cubic inch DOHC 32-valve straight-eight. Large chromed flexible exhaust pipes became a signature element, necessary to accommodate the blower’s external manifolds.
A Warner Gear three-speed manual transmission and four-wheel hydraulic brakes completed the mechanical package.
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