This Duesenberg Model X Speedster, a one-off creation built for the 1927 Chicago Auto Salon, is arguably one of the most significant and influential motorcars ever built in the United States. Strictly a show car, the sleek roadster lacks common amenities such as windshield wipers, a convertible top and side windows. It is the styling prototype for the Auburn Speedster, which appeared a year later. Its design, both aesthetically and mechanically, was the seed from which enthusiasm grew for sleek, high-performance automobiles, launching America’s passion with personal sports cars. This car was originally purchased by the Chicago hotel magnate Edwin Kirkeby who may have seen it at the local auto show.