Yesteryear Collection

For gangsters wishing to arrive in style

As Prohibition opened the door to corruption and illegal speakeasies and nightclubs cropped up around the country, a few dangerous men began to gather an enormous amount of power. Controlling bootlegging operations and interstate transportation of liquor, their operations soon took in gambling, loan sharking and other forms of vice.
When repeal came, these hoodlums and their power bases were well established. With seemingly unlimited supplies of money and arrogance, many of these kingpins lived lives of oppulent luxury. Their nights were spent on the town. They dressed in expensively tailored suits and strutted about with expensively gowned molls on their arms.

When they arrived, they arrived in style...and usually in one of the finest automobiles of the day. Yet these elegant vehicles were more than just another bauble or possession. They were often an integral part of the gangster's life, like speeding him away from danger, protecting him from blazing bullets and helping him to elude the police when necessary.

One of the truly classic cars of that dangerous era was the 1930 Duesenberg Model J. The Model J advertised that its 430-cid engine produced an extraordinary 265 horsepower at 4250 rpms, easily twice the output of its closest rival. And its strength matched its power: the 142.5-inch wheelbase relied upon 8.5-inch-deep frame rails and over-sized hydraulic brakes. Yet, despite its size, this "Duesy" was relatively light due to its liberal use of aluminium. Instrumentation was state-of-the-art and its cutting-edge technology included self-lubrication every 75 miles. The 1930 Duesenberg Model J was opulently luxurious, mammoth in size, more powerful than anything on the road and reliable. A car for its time, it became a legend forever.

Now, a magnificent 1930 Duesenberg Model J is recreated in a handsome die-cast model that captures the very spirit of the 1930s. Precision-engineered in 1:43 scale and authentically detailed, it is produced by - and available only from - Matchbox Collectibles.