"The Foosenberg?" Redesigning a period-correct Duesenberg | Chip Foose Draws a Car - Ep. 8 - Hagerty Media

The “Doozy” nickname came into pop culture for good reason: Duesenberg’s superior engineering inspired the term of praise and admiration, and, over 80 years after the company went defunct, the monker still has merit. Chip Foose never had the honor of transforming a Duesenberg into a “Foosenberg,” so, in this latest video, he puts himself in the place of a proper coachbuilder of the prewar era. This is not a restomod by any stretch of the imagination.

Since he hasn’t decided which Duesenberg model will undergird his coachbuilt body, Chip starts by sketching several versions using Duesenberg’s three off-the-shelf chassis, plus their fenders and signature grille. Then Chip takes the Foosenberg to places that most coachbuilders of the 1920s era dared not tread. His four sketches riff on a sleek, slightly rounded coupe body style, both with and without roofs.

After this brainstorming sketch session, Chip settles on a two-door convertible with a softened running board design, fender-mount spare wheels, character lines that slope downward to meet the rear wheel, and a steeply raked rear deck. After applying a full gray-scale rendering, the Foosenberg comes to life as a proper coachbuilt Duesenberg sporting a softer, more elegant body.

While Chip would like to make a few more changes, including a taller ride height, we think the Foosenberg does justice both to the Duesenberg brand and the era in which the cars were crafted. What do you think of the Foosenberg? Sound off in the comments below!

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