Brothers Fred S. and August Duesenberg (1876-1932 and 1879-1955, respectively), were German-born mechanical masterminds raised in Rockford, Iowa, in a large immigrant family. They taught themselves the principles of transportation engineering and designed and built their first car, the Marvel, in Des Moines in about 1904. The brothers then went to Indianapolis, where the Dusenburg Automobile and Motors Company was established in 1920. The custom-built Dusenburg was considered the finest car in the world. It was also the most expensive luxury automobile in the world, sold only to the very affluent.