Crowley Transports $2m Car

Antique car enthusiasts in Puerto Rico were given a special treat this past weekend during the annual Gran Feria de Autos Antiguos when they got to see an extremely rare 1936 Duesenberg V-12. The vehicle is worth $2m and there is only one known to exist worldwide. It was on display at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Hato Rey Feb. 16 through Feb. 18 for the 15th annual high-end, classic, car show. Crowley was entrusted with the transportation of the car from its home at The William E. Swigart Jr. Automobile Museum in Huntingdon, Penn. to Puerto Rico and back. The vehicle is scheduled to leave Puerto Rico for Pennsauken, N.J. within the next few days. The Feria de Autos Antiguos de Puerto Rico is the largest automotive event on the island and attracts more than 40,000 visitors each year. Over 1,700 antique and classic cars were on display, in addition to motorcycles and other automotive products. The Feria also hosted its first ever antique auto auction this past weekend. The automobile belongs to Patricia Swigart, who was in Puerto Rico for the event. Swigart is part-owner of the automobile museum, the oldest of its kind in the United States. It was established in 1920 by late car enthusiast William Emmert Swigart. The 1936 Duesenberg 12-Cylinder Prototype was designed by Gordon Buehrig using various parts from Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs. During the mid-1930's, faced with economic struggles during the Great Depression, E.L. Cord halted production of all Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs. During those tough times, Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company only assembled a few cars, which were all assembled with spare parts. The last Modal J Duesenberg was built in 1940. Duesenberg's, which were completely hand-made, were best known for their extremely high-quality, opulence and record-breaking speeds. Movie star Jackie Coogan was the first owner of this exciting automobile, whose most famous TV role was the Uncle Fester character in The Addams Family television series.