Duesenberg was an American automotive manufacturer founded in 1913. The company was established by brothers Fred and August Duesenberg and initially focused on building race cars and race engines. The company shifted to engine production for WWI until 1919, when the end of the war allowed the company return to automotive production, which notably included the introduction of passenger cars. Duesenberg's first passenger car was the Model A, which was soon followed by more limited production examples such as the Model X and Model Y. In 1926, Duesenberg was taken over by E.L. Cord, the owner of Cord and Auburn, who wanted the company to produce the world's best car. The result of this desire was the Model J, and its variants the Model SJ, Model SSJ, and Model JN, which was the world's fastest and most expensive car when it was unveiled. Unfortunely, Duesenberg suffered greatly as a result of the Great Depression, eventually folding in 1937. Several attempts to revive Duesenberg have taken place, with a brief attempt in the 1960s by Virgil Exner and August Duesenberg's son Fritz creating the Model D prototype which only saw one example built. A later custom series of cars known as the Duesenberg II were also built, these cars were created by Elite Heritage Motors Corp and successor company Duesenberg Motors and feature a modern platform with original Model J body styles.