For its first collector car foray into Arizona, Mecum Auctions will be led by a piece of automotive royalty, a 1932 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Berline with one-of-a-kind coachwork by Rollston.

The Duesenberg will be among 1,250 vehicles crossing the block during Mecum’s inaugural Arizona auction,  which takes place March 14-17 at State Farm Stadium, the huge facility in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale where the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals play their home games.

In lustrous silver with a gray interior, and accented by gleaming Art Deco flourishes, the Duesenberg is a unique expression of 1930s styling with a singular design created by Rollston, the New York carrozzeria famous for beautiful bodies supplied for Duesenberg owners as well as those of other top luxury marques.

But then as now, Duesenberg stands at the pinnacle of the greatest and most advanced, as well as most expensive, automobiles from that pre-war decade of style and innovation, as well as world economic and political turmoil.

While no estimated value is given by Mecum for this restored example, classic Model Js often sail at auction into seven-figure waters.

“One of the most magnificent and unique automobiles of the 20th century, this 1932 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Berline by Rollston is a treasured expression of the automotive magic conjured by the legend-making partnership of E.L. Cord and Fred Duesenberg,” Mecum notes in its catalog description.

“More than 80 years after the last example was completed and the company closed its doors forever, the Duesenberg Model J is still considered one of the most fabulous automobiles ever built.

“Conceived by Errett Lobban Cord, who purchased Duesenberg, Inc., in 1925 and challenged Fred Duesenberg to build ‘the world’s finest motor car,’ the Model J offered literally the ultimate in engineering sophistication, luxury, power, performance and road manners, and it was dressed in an astonishing variety of body styles by the exceptional coachbuilders of the day, from sporty two-seat roadsters to lavish town cars and majestic limousines.”

The Duesy, chassis 2574 and engine J546, has a known history of ownership since it rolled out of the Indiana factory, the catalog says, and originally was purchased by a descendant of Cornelius Vanderbilt. A comprehensive restoration of the car by Scott Veasie of Hollywood, California, was completed in 1990 while the car was part of the Imperial Palace Auto Collection.

Other noted collections that have owned the Duesenberg include the Blackhawk Collection, John O’Quinn Collection, Gen. William Lyon Collection and the Dean V. Kruse Foundation. The car has been owned since 2010 by the Academy of Art University Collection in San Francisco.

The car is fully documented and has Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg certification as a Category 1 numbers-matching car, the original 420cid, dual-overhead-cam straight-8 engine still under its extravagantly long hood. The outside set of exhaust headers are as much decorative as they are functional.

For more information about Mecum’s first Arizona sale, visit the auction website.

Read more about Mecum’s Phoenix auction:

• • What Bob wants at inaugural Mecum Arizona auction
• • Ford or Chevy? Mecum Phoenix consignments have both covered
• • Buddy Stubbs sending 30 bikes to Mecum’s Phoenix auction
• • Bill Burke’s Bonneville Streamliner heading to Mecum Phoenix
• • Mecum expands Phoenix auction again, expecting 1,250 cars

It seems no one wants to keep this Liquid Blue 2017 Ford GT.

First bought by pro wrestler-turned-actor John Cena, the GT first changed hands in August of 2017. Ford immediately sued Cena for breaking the legal agreement each GT buyer signs stating they won’t sell (i.e. flip) their car for two years after purchase. The two parties reached an agreement in July 2018. The car has had two more owners since then.

Now on the hunt for its fifth owner, the low-slung supercar is headed to the block at Mecum’s Indy 2019 auction on May 18.

In January, Mecum came to an agreement with Ford to not accept the consignment of any GT from the original owners within the two-year sale ban. The auction house also agreed to contact and consult Ford regarding any GT consigned from a “downstream purchaser” (i.e. not the original owner) within two years of the car’s initial delivery, and Mecum agreed not to sell any GT without the Blue Oval’s consent.

“We are confident we will be able to enforce our ownership agreements but cannot discussion individual customer matters,” Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood replied when asked if Mecum received consent to sell the GT this time around.

The second owner was an elderly farmer who ended up selling the GT after about a year as he found it too hard to get in and out of the car with his bad back Jalopnik learned from New Autos Inc. chief Bernie Knaus.

The third owner bought the car at a Russo and Steele auction during Monterey Car Week in August 2018 for $1,540,000, but took a massive bath on it when he sold it at a Mecum auction in Dallas in October for a mere $1,320,000.

When the GT rolled across the Dallas auction block, it had only 626 miles on the odometer. The current Mecum listing states the GT has 635 miles on it. That means the fourth owner has driven a mere 9 miles, which was most likely during transport.

Without a doubt, the 2019 Lexus RC-F was designed to target those who are so brand loyal that they’re willing to ignore rival models that can offer more performance at a lower price tag.

It’s a heritage car, meant to be accommodating to those who have long-favored the Japanese marque but no longer want the four-door IS or GS because of their less-sporty designs. The RC-F, in a way, is like the former SC: Lexus filled its own market gap by offering a performance coupe that is not as expensive as the LC and isn’t a four-door, like the LS.

However, also like the SC, the RC-F is doomed to be eliminated unless it receives some updates.

Featuring a 5.0-liter naturally-aspirated V8 capable of making 467 horsepower and 389 pound-feet of torque mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission — Lexus does not offer a manual option — the RC-F struggles to pace itself against competitors such as the twin-turbo BMW M4 and Mercedes AMG C63.

I drove an RC-F equipped with the performance package which adds torque vectoring rear control differential that distributes power between the wheels for more effective corning. It also adds a carbon fiber roof and spoiler and $5,500 to the price tag.

It’s still a Lexus, so luxury and comfort are required. You can select your driving mode — Eco, Sport and Sport S — using a dial near the shifter. When in Sport or Sport S modes, the change in handling is palpable. The F-Adaptive Variable Suspension has 30 different levels of stiffness that vary with the selected mode. The suspension paired with large Brembo brakes give a sense of confidence in using all 467 horsepower. It’s worth noting that Lexus uses the same chassis in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Rotate the dial to Eco and the ride is more comfortable, throttle response gradual and fuel efficiency improves; perfect for when you’re not feeling like driving a performance car (if that ever happens). My primary complaint regarding Eco mode is the delayed throttle response. If you need to make a quick maneuver, you better have one of the other modes at the ready or prepare for a noticeable delay.

It’s a wonder that Lexus didn’t drop its twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 into the RC-F. The engine used in the LS 500 is capable of making 416 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque along with the 10-speed automatic transmission. It’s less powerful on paper, but the lighter, torque-ier engine would likely improve the driving experience.

Let’s talk about the overall exterior design, which is quite good but betrayed by its lackluster interior (more on that later). The headlights and taillights caught my eye first. The RC-F, with its sharply designed, triple-beam headlights and a unique three-projector design, gives off a futuristic feel. The “checkmark” look is continued in the taillights and accentuates the body lines.

The RC-F has just enough design imbued in it to prevent it looking like a concept car.  The large “spindle” grill is distractingly oversized — distractingly so — but the sleek lines that run from it up into the hood pull the eye away quickly enough. The side profile is much easier on the eyes. Subtle cooling ducts behind the front wheel wells flow into the side skirts and a slight indentation in the rear bumper that moves the eye up to those flashy taillights or down to the quad-exhaust.

Interior design is very similar to its four-door counterparts, save for seats that supposedly are more bolstering in high-G situations. The overall feel of interior materials doesn’t match the $60,000-plus price tag. Lexus used a material called “NuLuxe” in place of natural or synthetic leather that doesn’t live up to the definition of luxury.  The material isn’t as soft as leather and doesn’t have the same visual depth.

Other marques offer higher-quality materials and modern conveniences such as in-vehicle Wi-Fi hotspots or wireless chargers for cellphones. Lexus hasn’t caught up to that yet.

The gauge cluster and multi-functional display is sportier and visually appealing with a full-color LCD that has added performance data, including a visual representation of the torque distribution. The cluster changes appearance depending on the drive mode.

On the plus side, RC-F is a user-friendly sport coupe that can be used as a weekend warrior or daily driver with the rotation of a dial. It likely won’t have any significant issues until well past 100,000 miles, much like other Lexus vehicles. It also costs less than the LC 500.

On the negative, it lacks in performance and true luxury touches that other marques offer for a lower sticker price. Unless you’re a true Lexus enthusiast, I imagine you’ll be spending your money on a different car.

2019 Lexus RC-F

Vehicle type: Five-passenger, two-door coupe, rear-wheel drive
Base price: $64,650 Price as tested: $81,495
Engine: 5.0-liter V8, 467 horsepower at 7,100 rpm, 389 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Wheelbase: 107.5 inches Overall length/width: 185.2 inches / 72.6 inches
Curb weight: 3,948 pounds
EPA mileage estimates: 16 city / 25 highway / 19 combined
Final assembly in: Tahara, Aichi, Japan