Auburn 851 Speedster

Key facts

Year

1935
Country

United States
Capacity

4,585cc
Cylinders

8 cylinder
Valves

Side valve
Output

150bhp at 4,000rpm
Performance

100mph
Price new

£795
Owner

Montagu Collection
Manufacturer

Auburn Automobile Co.

Auburn built some of America’s best known and most stylish cars in the late 1920s and 1930s. The 851 Speedster, powered by a supercharged Lycoming engine, was introduced for 1935. The boat-tailed body was the work of Duesenberg designer Gordon Buerhig. All Auburn Speedsters were tested to over 100mph by the record breaker Ab Jenkins, as recorded by the autographed plate on the dashboard.

Entrepreneur Errett Lobban Cord rescued Auburn from obscurity in 1924. He acquired Duesenberg and the engine manufacturer Lycoming in 1926, before creating the new Cord marque in late 1929. Auburn was one of only two American car manufacturers to actually increase their sales figures during the great depression of 1931. After that Auburn’s sales dropped and the 851 was to be the company’s swansong, with production ending in late 1936. Cord and Duesenberg ceased production soon after.