INDIANAPOLIS — Pharmaceutical magnate Josiah K. Lilly, Jr. is well-known for philanthropy and the Oldfields estate he and his wife Ruth purchased in 1932, but he was also an automotive connoisseur. Near the visitor entrance of The Lilly House at the IMA is my favorite room - a three-bay garage the Lillys stocked with cars equal to their home.
He drove a Duesenberg.
Mr. Lilly was a man of exquisite taste, but he was not flashy. After all, he was a mid-western industrialist, not a Hollywood studio mogul. So, it was probably a surprise when he commissioned a 1934 Duesenberg for his 41st birthday.
J.K. had just parted with a Marmon 16 convertible sedan when he approached the Indianapolis-based automaker about a special project. Designed by J. Herbert Newport, with a body produced by A.H. Walker, his car was designated “LaGrande Car 2569, chassis J-554.” The short wheelbase Model J that emerged was estimated to have cost more than the astounding “Twenty Grand” model and was one of few times Duesenberg authorized changes to its standard grille and headlamps.
The black coupe featured headlamps in the fenders, leather roof covering, and body color grille surround. A black dashboard dressed the interior. Truly aerodynamic, the car was faster and quieter than similar Duesenbergs. Strangely, Mr. Lilly went for the 265hp J instead of the supercharged 320hp SJ. That would probably have been too flashy. No worries, he could still cruise at 100 mph.
According to stories, Mr. Lilly drove to the office with his chauffer in the passenger’s seat. Upon arriving, he handed over the car until he was ready for his next appointment. Even after directing every detail, Lilly was never happy with the coupe. Its small cabin, close to a large eight-cylinder engine and in the days before air conditioning, was too warm for comfort. The car was also known to vapor lock and leave him stranded by the road. When this happened one day, J.K. got out of the car and told his driver to sell it. It was taken to Manhattan and traded for a Cadillac.
Following years of neglect, the car underwent a full restoration and is now in the very good hands of Jay Leno. Even for a man who owns a large collection of Duesenbergs, J-554 is his favorite. Good taste transcends time.
Andrea Doria Takes Ruth’s Rolls.
We don’t know much about cars owned during the remainder of the ‘30s and ‘40s, but Ruth Lilly apparently drove a 1948 Lincoln Continental for a while. The only things the Lillys would hear at 60 mph in their next custom rides were electric clocks.
Tucked in the Lilly House’s archives are artful drawings of Rolls-Royces presented to the couple by a coachbuilder. J.K. commissioned a custom-bodied dark blue 1959 Silver Cloud that reminded him of his Duesenberg. According to the invoice, it cost over $25,000.
There was also a drophead Silver Cloud I by James Young for Mrs. Lilly. She would have looked ravishing cruising around Indianapolis in it, but the car went down with the Andrea Doria. Another Rolls-Royce sedan was ordered for Ruth, but not delivered. Instead, she took a 1954 Silver Wraith with coachwork by Hooper. It was purchased in 1961 and later given to Joe Lilly. A Park Ward Phantom V joined the Lillys in the ‘60s and was among the last cars they owned.
You should visit Oldfields to see The House and gardens, but check out the garage for a rotating display of cars from The Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum. Maybe someday, J.K.’s Duesenberg will return. But, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Jay Leno to turn it loose.
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