‘For Sale: One Imagination, Low Mileage.’
The Coupé Simone was a creative concept dreamt up by Franklin Mint designers Roger Hardnock and Raffi Minasian in the late 1990s.
They crafted an elaborate backstory and design for a non-existent Duesenberg model.
In 1998, Franklin Mint unveiled a 1:24-scale model of the Coupé Simone, which gained popularity among collectors despite its fictional origins.
In 2008, Franklin Mint launched a special edition of the model, dubbed the ‘Midnight Ghost,’ which added further mystique to the fictional car.
The Coupé Simone was imagined as a 1939 commission by French cosmetics magnate Gui de LaRouche for his lover, Simone.
‘Proof That Art Deco Can Also Be Art Fiction.’
Designed with heavy Art Deco influences, its aesthetic echoed the aerodynamic mastery of French coachbuilders like Figoni et Falaschi.
In the fictional backstory, the car was supposed to have been lost during World War II, intensifying its enigmatic allure.
The conceptual design featured dramatic flowing lines and a streamlined profile akin to Art Deco sculptures.
In 2023, an accurate recreation plan to build a functioning Coupé Simone, blending traditional coachbuilding with modern technology to bring the car to life.
The Duesenberg Coupé Simone is a testament to the power of storytelling in the automotive world. It blends myth and artistry to create an enduring legend that bridges imagination and reality.
‘More Aerodynamic Than Reality Itself.’
