Auction Date: October 8 - 9
FEATURE LOTS
Lot No. 694:
1929 Auburn 8-90 Convertible Coupe Coupe
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| Chassis No. | ||||
| MD29424 | ||||
| Estimate: | ||||
| $90,000-$110,000 US | ||||
| 90 bhp, 244 cu. in. inline eight-cylinder engine, three-speed manual transmission, solid front and rear axles with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel mechanical drum brakes. Wheelbase: 130" The Auburn marque began as the Eckhart Carriage Company, which was established in 1874 by Charles Eckhart in Auburn, Indiana. His sons Frank and Morris built their first solid-tired, tiller-steered runabout in 1900, and organized the Auburn Automobile Company to build it. Twin-cylinder models were available in 1905, a four in 1909 and a six by 1912. Success was modest at best, and the Eckharts sold out to a group of Chicago investors that included chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr., in 1919. The new management introduced the Auburn Beauty Six that year, a restyled and more attractive automobile, but the post-World War I recession hindered its sales. Large inventories of unsold cars greeted E.L. Cord when he signed on as general manager in 1923. Cord had the stockpiled Auburns repainted in attractive, bright colors and cleared out the inventory in short order. He also bought some eight-cylinder engines from Lycoming Manufacturing Company and for 1925 introduced the Auburn 8-63 and 8-88 with prices starting at $1,895 – quite a bargain for an eight-cylinder car. A dashing and glamorous boattail speedster version introduced in 1928 was a big hit, and total Auburn sales doubled to over 23,000 units for 1929. Auburn also cultivated a strong performance image. At the wheel of an Auburn Speedster, driver Wade Morton clocked 108.46 mph on a measured mile at Daytona Beach and later covered 2,033 miles in 24 hours for a record 84.7 mph average speed at Atlantic City. Morton also set a new record at the challenging Pike’s Peak hillclimb. While competing cars such as the Stutz cost nearly $5,000, the Auburn was available for just over $2,000. This enormous value contributed to Auburn’s record sales levels for 1929, and helped Auburn meet the challenges of the looming Great Depression. The car offered here, a 1929 Auburn 8-90 Convertible Coupe, is a beautifully restored example that is resplendent in a two-tone red exterior finish, accented by stunning brightwork and a cream-colored insert panel at the top of each door. The interior features a padded dash and saddle leather upholstery. The rumble seat is trimmed to match and period accessories include dual side-mounted spare tires with red painted wire wheels and wide whitewall tires. A competitive show entry, this lovely Auburn was awarded Second in Class at the Marin Concours d’Elegance. |
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| Addendum Please note, this example is an 8-120, not an 8-90 as described in the catalogue, making it significantly more desirable. |
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