The Eckhart brothers, Frank and Morris, built their first single cylinder, tiller-steered automobile in 1900 and started the Auburn Automobile Company. This first car cost $800 and they didn’t sell many. By 1912 they added a six cylinder engine.
Auburn was acquired by E.L Cord, a former race car driver, mechanic, and car salesman, in 1924 and became the Cord Corporation. Lycoming straight-eight engines were added to the line up. In 1928, an Auburn was driven 108.64 mph for the measured mile at Daytona and set a new record at Pikes Peak. Auburn cars enjoyed a rivalry with the Stutz Bearcat, the first true American sports car.
The crowning achievement for Auburn was the Model 851 with a Lycoming 8 cylinder engine, a mechanical supercharger, and a boat tail speedster body. 100mph was guaranteed and the car has a plaque on the dash certifying this capability. Top speed of this speedster is certified at 101.3mph. A speedster driven by Ab Jenkins at Bonneville became the first fully equipped American stock car to exceed 100mph for a twelve hour period. About 500 speedsters were built and sold at $2,245. Auburn lost money on each one; the car’s purpose was to attract showroom traffic and sell the cheaper six cylinder models.
The Classic Automobile collection is viewable during special events and by appointment only. Please call the office for details.
