The Willoughby Company, based in Utica, New York, stood as a premier coachbuilder during the illustrious Classic Era. Esteemed by the most distinguished families on the East Coast, they were renowned for their sturdy craftsmanship and exquisite details found in their limousine and sedan bodies. While collaborating with numerous prestigious automobile manufacturers of the time, Willoughby gained particular acclaim for their exceptional work on the Duesenberg, especially during the initial years of Model J production.
They crafted approximately 50 bodies for the Model J, all of which were closed designs, including around 20 classic seven-passenger limousines built on the elongated 153 1/2-inch-wheelbase chassis. Regrettably, these limousines have not endured with a high survival rate, making them exceedingly rare among the various Model J variations. Today, only four of these remarkable examples remain in existence.
Source: RM Sotheby’s
