Auburn Cars

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Auburn Cars

The Auburn Automobile Company built their first production cars in 1903, They were powered by a single-cylinder engine in a runabout body style with tiller steering. A two-cylinder model was added in 1905 and in 1910, the company began to produce a 4-cylinder car. The 6-cylinder engine debuted in 1912.

The Auburn cars were well made and reliable but rather ordinary in appearance, offering nothing that could not be found in many other makes. Competition was tough and the company was foundering.

With deepening financial woes in 1924, the Auburn owners hire a rising star in the car industry, E.L. Cord, to help revive the company. The young car salesman with a deep belief in capitalism is soon named General Manager and then Vice President of Auburn. Cord brought in J.M. Crawford who redesigned the 1925 models. The 1925 Auburns were handsom and well built. By 1926 Errett Lobban Cord is the major stock holder in the company.

The Auburn Model 8-88 series was introduced in 1925 as the first line of Auburns developed under the direction of E.L. Cord. Mr. Cord was not satisfied with a mere up-to-date-design, he wanted to establish Auburn as a marque of distinction.

The introduction of the hood and body molding, a reasonably priced eight-cylinder line, and multi-colored paint schemes set Auburn apart from other automobiles. In 1926, the average increase in sales for autromobile manufacturers was one percent; Auburn had in the same year an increase of fifty-two percent.

In the late 1920's, under Cord?s leadership, the company turned itself around by adding eight-cylinder models, expanding the dealer network, and retaining its low retail prices.

In 1927, Auburn purchased the Lycoming engine company. By the 1930 model year the Auburn engine offerings included a 70-horsepower inline six, a 100-horsepower inline eight and a 125-horsepower inline eight.

For 1929 the Auburn was offered on three different chassis models - the 6-85, 8-95, and 8-125. The first number indicating the number of cylinders in the inline engine and the second number indicating the horsepower.

1929 is the final year for the Boattail Speedster.

Approximately 21,000 Auburn automobiles were made in 1929.

In 1930 the Auburn automobiles were available on the same three different chassis models for 1929 - the 6-85, 8-95, and 8-125. The first number indicating the number of cylinders in the inline engine and the second number indicating the horsepower.

Body styles available were a sedan, sport sedan, cabriolet, and a phaeton sedan. The phaeton was only offered on the eight-cylinder chassis.

In 1930, the Auburn Automobile Company opened its new Art Deco showroom in Auburn, Indiana. This fabulous facilty now houses the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum.

Auburn introduced a new top-of-the-line Salon series for 1933 in an attempt to boost lagging sales. The Salon featured more chrome, fancier bumpers, upgraded interior and a V-shaped windshield. The eight-cylinder Salon Sedan in the configuration was offered only for one year, with a total of only 293 being built.

Despite the failing economy and declining sales caused by the Depression, luxury automakers such as Cadillac, Packard, and Marmon began introducing larger, more powerful engines. Not to be outdone, Auburn unveiled its new V-12 Lycoming engine in 1932, which became the least expensive twelve-cylinder engine ever marketed. Still, by 1934, Auburn sales had plummeted and a less expensive six-cylinder line was added.

The smooth and quiet Lycoming V-12 engine was very advanced for its day and became well-known for its use in aircraft. The engine design was so well-made they were produced into the mid-1960s for use in American La France fire trucks.

Annual Production

Year	Production
1929	21,000(a)
1930	11,755
1931	28,103
1933	6,000