Todays Friday Lady is proudly posing with her new Auburn 8-120. You can see her posing in front of the showroom with a “Duesenberg 8” advertise. But inverted, you can also spot the big “AUBURN” letters through the glass. I missed the CORD letters, but as the first Cord, the L-29, appeared during the year the photo was made, it´s just logical, that you don´t see them. The lady must be really happy, as the 1929 Auburn was (and is) a masterpiece of design, even if it´s not a spectacular boattailed Speedster, but a “normal” two-door convertible. And with its straight eight engine, producing 120 HP (yes, that´s the origin of the name 8-120), it also was a fast car. Auburn belonged to the Cord Company in those days, a big holding company, directed by E.L. Cord. We all know, that Cord owned Duesenberg, Auburn and later built cars, carrying his own name at the Auburn factory, but there were some more companies in this holding. And “some” means about 150 in this case. Further automotive companies in this holding were for example Lycoming, Lexington, Checker or Ansted. Shortly after taking control over the Auburn factory, Cord insisted on an eight cylinder car and so, in 1925, the type 8-63 was launched. It was powered by a side-valve Lycoming engine. After yearly upgrades, the power of the Auburn “8” increased to the 120 HP of our lady´s car. After the great depression, sales decreased from 34.000 cars in 1931 down to 5000 cars in 1933, but even though, Auburn launched the fantastic and astonishingly cheap 12 cylinder car, followed by a new, often supercharged 8 cylinder. This final series contains the best known Auburn, the 851 Speedster.
But back to our lady. Why did she buy this fast car? I think, she wants to catch the Morgan Threewheeler pilot, who ruined her new coat. But even if her Auburn has triple of power, it will need many straight and non-twisting roads, to outrun the light and agile little rascal! But on American roads, I believe, she may have used her chance!?
Words and picture: Hubertus Hansmann