Just Cool Cars: Old Duesenberg was 'handful of rust'

BEVERLY HILLS — When Ronald Hansen first came across a historic 1921 Duesenberg, there wasn't much to celebrate. "It was a handful of rust," the owner says.

Today, this Duesy is a showboat.

The light yellow car, with its purring Straight 8 engine, is also a rolling piece of history. The Duesenberg Model A was the third ever made. Discovered in Jefferson City, Mo., Hansen, of Fillmore, Calif., and his restorers say bringing it back to life required three years, patience and lots of creativity.

Some parts, like the steering wheel and dashboard, had to be recreated from scratch, sometimes working from nothing more than photographs. Altogether, about 12,000 hours was invested.

The result, however, speaks for itself. The car, as exhibited earlier this year at the Rodeo Drive Concours d'Elegance here, is a work of art — especially when it comes to the details. The team now has the car's tool kit and fold-down bar in the back seat.

"It's a lot of love and hard work," says Hansen about how the restorers were able to pull it off.