A series of concepts Duke made between 1935 and 1939 were never meant to see the light of production- the idea behind them was more a vision of what the company might do at some point in the future. However, one of the concepts, known as the 38 Sedan (being a sedan made in 1938) did. After the Second World War, Duke realised that they did not have the resources to produce an all-new model, so they turned to the best of their concepts, the 38 Sedan, and adapted it for production. Due to a shortage of steel, early production examples up to 1954 had an aluminium body, which meant that these early versions, even with a 2.7l I6 up front, weighed just over 800kg.
The car was marketed under the name “The Duke” from 1947, but in reality various code names were used within the company- these were based on the engine being used. The original, sold in Canada and the UK from 1947-54, was the 38/55, which had a 55hp, 2701cc I6. Below are a 38/55 (in yellow) and the original concept (in blue) at a classic car show in 2018.
There were not many changes between the original concept and the production models, but notable ones included different front spotlights; repositioned mirrors (into a more conventional European placement, plus omitting the passenger-side mirror), painted steel wheels, and slightly raised suspension- the 517kg load capacity of the 38/55 earned it a second nickname, mainly among tradespeople and farmers who bought one instead of a pickup truck- “the Half-Ton Sedan”. The next updated model, the 38/40, came along in 1954 and had a smaller, more economical four-cylinder engine to take on the European market, but a push for comfort meant the load capacity dropped, and Duke began drawing up plans for a pickup truck to regain the trade market.
You may have noticed that Duke changed their logo at some point between the launch of the Alberta (1965) and the launch of the Segundo (1990). This is a change that took place in 1971, when a second limousine was commissioned by the British Prime Minister. He described the car as “fit for a king”, which was such great publicity for Duke that they changed their logo to a crown to honour the quote. A pared-back version of the crown has been used by DMX since 2005.
While the Alberta was Duke’s first successful entry into the US, and the Segundo its first intended “world car”, Duke had technically done both before- in one single vehicle. Once the 38/55 was out in 1954, Duke needed another utility model to hold on to one of its largest markets. By 1956 they had come up with the 56/1600 (named for its 1600kg load capacity), externally named the Uto. This pickup truck came with a choice of two engine-and-transmission configurations- the cheaper of the two was the same I6 as in the 38/55, but updated and now making 78hp, attached to a three-speed manual gearbox. The more expensive (and popular, outnumbering the I6 5:1 by the end of production in 1959) was a 300ci (4.9l) flat-plane V8, producing 145hp and 229lb/ft, mated to a 2-speed auto 'box. Having acquired an Australian firm called Wildlander, which previously converted ordinary cars into utes and vans, in 1955, Duke saw fit to market their first ute in Australia under that name- known as the Wildlander U60 or U300 (depending on the engine), it was a huge hit there.
The American venture only failed due to a dispute between the importer, who wanted to add numerous charges onto the final price of the vehicle and make it too expensive to sell, and Duke’s management. When 1958 rolled around and still no American imports had actually happened, Duke fired off the importer and told US customers that if they wanted a Uto, they had to come over the border and get it themselves- an estimated 4000 people did this over the course of the model’s lifetime, and once production ended all unsold stock was sent into the US by truck, accounting for another 300 or so sales- though it took until the middle of 1960 before they were all gone.
Photographed above at the Uto Owners’ Club’s celebration of the truck’s 50th anniversary in 2006 are a 1957 Wildlander U300 Special (left) and a 1959 Duke Uto I6 (right).
Duke’s close observance of the competition in the 1960s led to rapid modernisation of their designs, culminating in the 1967 Duke Nova. A two- or four-door saloon targeted at the European market, the Nova looked bang-up-to-date without being as divisive or as awkward as Melchett’s clueless, desperate-to-be-cool rushed designs.
The Nova came in four trim levels- the E (below, the white car), which was very basic; the SE (equipped with a radio and nicer wheels); the LE (below, the green car) which had leather seats, an optional sunroof, wing mirrors on both sides (optional on the SE), quad headlights and more chrome; and the SS (below, the orange car), which was lowered, and had more plastic trims (to be modern) and a pared-back interior with a somewhat similar equipment level to the SE.
There were two engines available in the Nova- a pair of I4s, the cheapest being a 1325cc, 52hp unit and the other being a much more efficient unit of 1601cc and producing 68hp. While the E was 1300-only, and the SS was 1600-only, the SE and LE could be had with both. All Novas had the same suspension setup- double wishbones at the front, semi trailing arm rear, though the tune for each specification was slightly different. This generation of Nova received an update in 1972, revamping the engines for greater efficiency in an impending fuel crisis and adding to the options list.
The Nova’s update in 1972 not only added to the options list, meaning that an LE could now be had with a vinyl roof and an 8-track, but also introduced a new variant- a van. With an entirely different rear frame to a standard saloon, the van was available in E-spec only, though a 1600 version could be had as well. The fact that the only available 1600E was a van, and that there was no word on an official estate model, meant lots of vans were bought in 1600E form, had windows cut out of the side panelling and any seats that would fit were bolted in the back, to make an unofficial Nova estate. Realising just how popular these conversions were (an estimated 3000 were done in 1975 alone) Duke promised that the Nova Mk3’s lineup, set for introduction in 1978, would include an estate as well.
A series of trucks based on the Uto platform had kept the Australian market at bay for nearly two decades, but by 1977 it was time for a new model. Duke already had the Nova engineered for right-hand-drive (it was their biggest model that did) so they chopped the roof off the Mk2 van, tuned the suspension and turned the Nova into a ute (above), calling it from then on the Wildlander Nova U140. It was not just that, though, which made the U140- its name was derived from its power output, with 142hp coming from an updated version of the Uto’s flat-plane V8. While Euro-spec engines were updated (adapted for unleaded fuel and fitted with catalytic converters), the Australian models continued to use the old versions until 1990.
Meanwhile in Europe, the Nova Mk3 was launched in 1978, with the 1300 gone and a new 2-litre being the top model. The Mk3 was also front-wheel-drive, and was Duke’s first FWD production car (they had made transverse-engined concepts before but usually stuck to a more familiar layout). Best of all, alongside the saloon was an estate version (below), which could swallow 720 litres of cargo.
There aren’t really any revolutionary moments in the Nova’s lineage after the launch of the Mk3- a facelifted Mk4 version arrived in 1983, then it remained on the backburner until the Triad replaced it in 1995. So let’s move onto another model line.
In 1973, Duke brought out a smaller car than the Nova, aimed solely at the European market. It was called the Flash (below), and was available with only the 1325cc engine and a two-door saloon body. The Flash was intended to be a cheap motor for inexperienced or elderly drivers, so more emphasis was put on it being easy to handle than on, say, equipment levels. Though very basic, it immediately caught on and became the best-selling car in the UK in 1974.
Despite its name, this car was neither flashy nor fast- 0-62mph took 18 seconds in the heavier SE model. However, Duke saw potential in the Flash as a lightweight sports car, even for rallying, and built an SS version (below), with a tuned 1600 engine producing 81hp, wider tyres, a stripped-out interior and harsher suspension. With a respectable 0-62 time of just 10.1 seconds, and a top speed around 115, this is a car which tore up the rally stage, but never actually claimed a victory. From 1975, the regular 1600 was made available in the Flash to reduce the number of people butchering old Novas for their powerplants in the name of making SS replicas (only 800 SS models were made, and they sold out very quickly).
A second-generation Flash was introduced in 1980. It was designed with the help of a futurist- and their ideas on what a competitor car might look like in the year 1990. This was done so that even by the end of the Flash’s lifetime (in 1990 the Segundo succeeded it) it would still look fresh. In 1980 it was quite astonishingly futuristic- a mistake, perhaps, because sales were initially much slower than expected, with buyers preferring more conventional-looking rivals. However, this was innovative below the surface, being the first Duke to get fuel-injection (base models like the one below were the last to have carburettors), as well as their first hatchback.
It took a sporty version to get more people to pay attention to the Flash Mk2. Unveiled in 1982 to universal praise, the Flash SS Turbo was Duke’s first turbocharged car. It had a DOHC version of the 1600 engine, producing a peak 105hp and 95lb/ft thanks to tubular headers, electronic fuel injection and a massive turbo.
Perhaps the most interesting detail of the Flash Mk2 (always referenced by enthusiasts when they talk about the attention to detail that makes these cars great) is that the number of wheel spokes depends on the specification- basic E models had one, mid-range SEs had two and top-spec LE and SS models had three. This feature was exclusive to the Flash, though.
In 1969 the Alberta was joined by a midsize model in North America- the Columbia. Though only slightly smaller than the Alberta, the Columbia was noticeably cheaper and was much more popular as a result. Pictured above is a 1972 3-door model, the first year the Columbia used concealed headlights.
All Alberta and Columbia models were available with a range of V8 engines, the most popular being a 427ci (7-litre). This was not the largest engine of the entire range, that being a 450ci made only for the 1970-71 model years. After 1971 began a shift towards fuel economy which saw all the engines in the range losing power in the name of efficiency- in 1972 a 427 made 230hp, by 1974 that was reduced to 196hp with a slight increase in efficiency- a 1974 Columbia 4-door sedan (below) could achieve 15.6mpg (US).
Both the Alberta and the 427ci V8 were discontinued in 1976 due to the increasing popularity of smaller cars, leaving a gap at the top of the market. As a result, that year’s new-generation Columbia had a new top model- the Grande Coupe. A 3-door, 4-seat coupe powered by the updated 300ci V8, this car was billed as the new alternative to the leviathan luxury coupes of the past. Indeed, its only real competition was the much larger and heavier Jefferson Spirit, which may have made 210hp from a 445ci V8 but was terribly thirsty. The Grande Coupe’s advertising pitched the Spirit as old-fashioned, and even Jefferson’s patriotism could not save it in a time when the American public was losing confidence in its government. The Spirit was canned in 1979, with the '75 being the last truly successful one. This was the first nail in the Jefferson Motors coffin, losing one of its major markets (and having poured huge sums of money into it from 1976-78 to try and keep it afloat) causing the company to begin a steady decline, until it was weak enough to be bought out and dissolved by Gavril in 1995.
The Grande Coupe was given a mild facelift in 1979 and then killed off itself in '82. By then, the 3-door Nova was competitive in North America, and so that was the only coupe in the range from that point forward. A Segundo coupe was planned but never made, but we’ll get to that when we start going through some never-produced concepts from throughout the company’s history.
The third (and final) generation of Columbia was launched in 1984, and was the first to feature front-wheel drive and the last car to use the 300ci V8. This time it was a cross-plane version, with a smoother sound and 182hp, enough to get the Columbia to 62mph in a little over 9 seconds. This, like the Flash, was quite an innovative motor, getting multi-point EFi and a limited-slip diff in top models.
1990 saw the end of the 300ci V8, as well as the old 1600 and 2-litre engines (the Segundo heralded a new range of powerplants). Instead, that year’s updated Columbia got a turbocharged 4001cc V6, with 207hp. This allowed the car to achieve 19.2mpg (US) and get from 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds. In fact, the V6 was so successful that after a fling with a 3400cc unit, Duke returned to the 4-litre in 2008.
Now we’ll start looking at some concepts Duke made throughout their history. Some of these are purely experimental, some were previews of production models and some never saw the light of day for a variety of reasons. I won’t, however, be covering the Septimus luxury car concept again, as I already talked about that when introducing the Triad V6.
I mentioned a planned Segundo coupe before, so this is it. Essentially a three-door hatchback with a more sweeping roofline, this was not a sports car- it was an eco-car. This one, the Segundo e, shown off in 1989, was built for fuel economy, with a very efficient turbocharged 1.6-litre I4 producing 105hp, but more importantly allowing the 930kg car to achieve a nice, round 50mpg, and up to 70 in cruise tests (UK). It would have been put into production like this except for the cost- at nearly £8000 just to make, it was deemed too expensive to be marketable- the production Segundo began at £9495, and the e was based on that cheapest model, the 1.6E.
The coupe might have reached production in a cheaper format, but Duke feared it would eventually take away sales from the Aprima, which was still in the works and would be completed in 1993. It did, though, inspire the cleaner styling of the original Aprima, done to signify its eco-friendly credentials.
Though not yet fully confident with the idea of making another all-out sports saloon after the poorly-received Triad SS, Duke showed that they had learned from that experience. In 2016 they shared a design and specs for a potential Penta Sport (as it was then known)- this 2-tonne RWD saloon now had a dual-overhead-cam 3973cc V6, producing 315hp and 277lb/ft at up to 7000rpm.
This car looked promising, but it never reached the production line due to a predicted lack of interest from the public- if they were going to actually make a muscle car, first the V8s would need resurrecting. However, its bodykit was made available on a new specification called the Penta SS-Design, so the project was not a total waste.
This is what the Aprima was originally meant to look like, with a front end more similar to the Segundo. The concept also claimed to have features that the production Aprima did not until later in its lifetime, such as a passenger airbag (which was not even an option until 2000) and variable power steering (introduced on the Aprima C in 2006). It was also subject to another condition by the management- that the car must weigh less than 900kg, or it would be too inefficient to be competitive. The concept totals 899kg, with basic production models using cheaper, often heavier materials to equate to about the same.
When the Penta was launched in 1996, there was meant to be a wagon as well as the sedan. However, this did not happen at first because SUVs were becoming noticeably more popular around this time, and the existing wagons in the range (the Segundo SW and Triad SW) had not met sales targets. By 1999, though the Segundo Smuggler van was really beginning to take off, Duke realised that the Penta was too large for Europe and a utility version for America would simply be lost in a land of pickup trucks and huge 4x4s. That was when the Penta SW project was scrapped for good.
Duke’s most mysterious project is one from the mid-1970s. With a fuel crisis putting emphasis on economical cars, they wanted to see just how light and efficient they could make a car with one of their existing engines. Employing a 1600 from the Nova Mk2, they built around it an aluminium monocoque chassis, and used just the bare minimum of parts required to make a drivable car out of it. Supposedly the resulting vehicle, known internally as the UE74, achieved 37mpg in tests around the company’s Vancouver heaquarters. Little else is known, but the car was destroyed and only one photograph, taken during a test-drive in summer 1974, survives.
The original plan for the Sextant’s launch in 2000 was for there to be four trim levels- the SL, a base model intended for use as a utility vehicle; the LX, a slightly nicer trim with more tech inside and the option of a third row of seats; the SLX, which would be enough for most fairly wealthy soccer moms; and the LXX, a more exclusive model at a far greater price, intended for VIPs.
As it happened, the only VIPs interested in such a discreet, luxurious eight-seater SUV were cartel leaders in South America. Orders were placed directly to the company’s headquarters, as they did not yet have any infrastructure in that part of the world. One cartel also offered to fund Duke’s expansion into South America; the conditions of this offer included production of the Sextant LXX being made exclusive to the cartel in question, in return for the building of a factory in Colombia and provision of labour to get it up and running.
Duke refused the offer on the grounds that they would be using dirty money for their own benefit, but the seed had been planted for a South American arm of the company- this is what kicked off the formation of DMX. However, the angry cartel leaders blocked sales of DMX cars in Colombia and forced Duke’s President, Terence Ryan, to retire lest they hunt him down. In the end, to rid themselves of the whole thing, Duke scrapped the LXX in 2002- it never made the production line, and only a few pre-production models are thought to exist.
In 2006, Japanese tuning company Mansu Speedworks got hold of a Triad 3.4 and decided to turn it into an all-out racing car. They gave it a widebody kit, huge semi-slick tyres, a massively uprated (though still naturally-aspirated) engine producing 400hp, sequential transmission, much stiffer suspension and better brakes. Duke asked to buy the car off them in the hope of using it for promotional purposes, as around this time the Aprima C and Segundo D were about to hit the market. Mansu agreed, and Duke scrubbed off the Mansu livery leaving the car in plain white.
The car was present at the launch event of the Aprima SS in January 2007, appeared in advertising for the company, and made its last appearance at the launch of the Triad C in 2008. In the meantime it toured racing venues around the world, followed everywhere it went by eager journalists and photographers.
