images from http://lalulutres.tumblr.com/post/54415714200/finished-in-1939-this-legendary-masterpiece-was
The car was made by the american car body designer Emmet-Armand on the basis of the Duesenberg Type J. They only made one of them which was ordered by the French cosmetics king Gui(Guy) De LaRouche
above information from http://www.dieselpunks.org/profiles/blogs/the-strange-case-of-the-midnight-ghost
below information from http://bokextra.se/produkt/3093/1939-duesenberg-coupe-simone-midnight-ghost-le
The Coupe Simone – A Brief History
The story of the Duesenberg Coupe Simone and Emmett-Armand Coachworks was first revealed in 1996 at The Franklin Mint Museum exhibit, "Crossroads." Chronicled by Designers Roger Hardnock and Raffi Minasian, this unique presentation revealed the recently discovered remnants of the coachworks, a diary of the events leading up to the delivery of the Simone in Paris, and drawings of this unusual car under development.
In 1998, Franklin Mint Precision Models released the 1:24 scale die-cast replica of the Coupe Simone.
– The "Midnight Ghost" Emmett-Armand Coachworks had been working on the Coupe Simone for more than a year when plans began to develop for new projects.
LaRouche, a wealthy cosmetics king and patron for the project, arrived at the coachworks late in the evening. Had the train been on time, LaRouche might have arrived earlier and appreciated the subtlety of the metallic black and silver trim as it glowed in the early sunset light. Instead, he was not pleased with the "rather evil appearance," calling upon Emmett and Armand to "please research a color combination more becoming to that of his refined tastes." Emmett, attempting to divert LaRouche's discontent, invited him to take the car for a drive. An excerpt from Armand's diary recalls the results:
"Although the two had only left a few minutes before, their early return was punctuated by the fact that Emmett was driving. LaRouche exited the car visibly shaken as Emmett came around to steady him, stumbling with his walking cane. We offered LaRouche (more accustomed to chauffeurs) some calming tea as he confessed that he had only driven a few times in cars featuring no more than 20 or 30 horsepower. His ghostly white face and trembling hands convinced us that the supercharged version of this car would be nothing more than a waste and certainly a hazard to our client. Emmett and I removed the supercharger and offered it for return to the Duesenberg Company. Curiously, they encouraged us to retain the unit should we have a use for it in future projects."
found on http://wickdpleasures.tumblr.com/
