Gordon M. Buehrig, the staff designer at Duesenberg, crafted numerous stunning bodies for the Model J, but his personal favorite was the stylish Tourster. Buehrig described it as a five-passenger touring car that was elegantly understated in ornamentation, looking equally handsome with the top raised or lowered.
The Tourster’s long 153 ½-inch-wheelbase chassis allowed for a rear seat positioned ahead of the rear axle, creating more interior space while maintaining a lower top and beltline compared to other phaetons.
Buehrig’s ingenuity was evident in the Tourster’s rear windshield, addressing the common issue with dual-cowl phaetons of being cumbersome to operate. He devised a solution where the rear windshield could slide up and down the back of the front seat with a crank handle, providing both a stylish windbreak and staying out of the passengers’ way.
Only eight Toursters were ever produced, all crafted by the Derham Body Company in Rosemont, Pennsylvania.
