She's a Real Duesy: 1930s Model J Duesenbergs fetch millions at RM Amelia Island-We love Cars

She's a Real Duesy: 1930s Model J Duesenbergs fetch millions at RM Amelia Island: "

Duesenberg Model J by Murphy: 1930 Sport Berline (above), 1932 convertible (below) - Click for high-res image galleries

Recession? What recession? You certainly wouldn't know it from looking at the latest crop of results from the auction floor, where millions of dollars continue to change hands between collectors for some of the finest pieces of rolling artwork ever to grace tarmac. Especially when the vehicles in question trace their roots back to the Great Depression itself.

At RM's recent Amelia Island event, a pair of early-30s Duesenbergs from the estate of one Mr. John O'Quinn brought in some big bucks. Both were Model Js with coachwork by Murphy and 265-horsepower 420-cubic-inch straight-eights with four valves per cylinder mated to three-speed transmissions.

The first, a 1930 saloon, eclipsed early estimates (which placed the hammer price between $1.2 and 1.5 million) by fetching an outstanding $1,705,000 at auction. The second, a 1932 convertible, fetched a still remarkable $800,000, closer to the bottom end of its pre-auction estimates which ranged from $800k to $1 million.

When, as RM points out, you consider that an average family sedan in that era cost about $500, the $20,000 sticker price on a new coachbuilt Duesenberg in its day equates to about a million today with inflation - think of it as the Bugatti of its time and you're right on track. In fact, along with the likes of Rolls-Royce and Hispano-Suiza, that's exactly who E.L. Cord had in mind when he acquired Duesenberg and added it to his empire that already included his namesake brand as well as Auburn and the Checker Cab, delivering the first customer Model Js just months before the stock market crashed. Follow the jump for more history on each of the models from the auctioneer.

Gallery: 1930 Duesenberg Model J Sport Berline by Murphy