In 1924 Auburn output was down to six cars a day,
Errett Lobban Cord—a successful automobile salesman—took over the distressed company, and brought in James Crawford to design and develop a new range of vehicles. Other companies had already produced cars with 'boat tail" styling (
Peerless,
Packard,
Hudson) but Auburn wanted to have an image leader in the segment. The Speedster had a fixed windshield, but no side windows, no interior door release, an optional roof, a cockpit for only two in an aerodynamic body.
First Series, 1928-1930 Auburn Eight (Eight-In-Line / 8-88 / Speedster 115, 120 and 125) The first Auburn eight model was introduced in 1925, as the
"Auburn Eight-In-Line". In the following year, it received an ungraded 4.8-liter side-valve 68 bhp
Lycoming engine and was renamed
"8-88". That powertrain remained in use until 1930, when it developed 115 bhp, hence the "Speedster 115" model name. The car was of a straightforward and stout design. Suspension was by semi-elliptic springs all round, and after experiments with hydraulic brakes, Auburn opted for mechanical brakes. The three-speed gearbox was in unit with the engine. The open two-seater body styled by Count
Alexis de Sakhnoffsky featured a boat-tail and a vee windscreen. The
"Auburn Speedster 120" with the so-called "big eight" 268 cubic inch, 120 hp engine were built in 1928 and 1929. On a longer chassis and with a longer hood than the 8-88, 100 were built and today only maybe 8 are known to survive. In 1930, the Auburn Speedster was upgraded and it was renamed
"Speedster 125". The Speedster 125 was advertised as a "racing car with comfort of a closed car" with a 125 bhp version of the Lycoming eight giving it a top speed of over 100 mph. It came with models such as "cabin speedster" and others.
Second series, 1931-1934 the Speedster 160 In 1931,
Auburn 12 a V12 range, using a 6.4-liter engine designed by George Kublin and built by
Lycoming Engines. As the
Great Depression was taking hold, the V12 was expensive and only about 25 of the
"Auburn Speedster 160" were built. The V12 engine design was successful, and was used as the basis of the
LaFrance engine, used for decades especially in fire trucks.
Third Series, 1935-1936 the Speedster 851/852 The
"Speedster 851", which would be the final production model of the manufacturer, was introduced in 1934 with bodywork by
Gordon Buehrig that was ingeniously constructed and cost-effectively built. With sandwiched front and rear fenders, a backswept radiator, and external side-threaded exhaust pipes, the 851 Speedster is the iconic Auburn "Hollywood car." Its flat-head straight-eight engine was powerful, reliable and of a strong and solid design. The sweeping body lines concealed some innovative and advanced technical features, such as the Columbia dual-ratio rear axle, that was achieved by interposing an
epicyclic gear train between the axle and the crown wheel. When it was engaged, the final drive ratio became a "fast" 4.5:1. It was disengaged by moving a steering-wheel mounted lever and dipping the clutch, whereupon the ratio became a more leisurely 3:1. The three-speed synchromesh gearbox along with that dual ratio axle gave a six-speed transmission. The 852, introduced in 1936, was identical but for the "852" badge on the radiator grille. The final year of production was 1937, when Auburn ceased car production altogether. A total of 143 supercharged 851/852SC boat tail speedsters were made. Evocation of the Speedster's iconic "boattail" design would make a rare appearance in later decades. Two notable examples include the 1963–1967
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupe and the third generation 1971–1973
Buick Riviera. {{multiple image | direction = vertical | width = 250 px
Design and statistics (Speedster 851) Engine • Location: Front, longitudinal. • Type: Water-cooled in-line flathead side-valve eight cylinder with aluminum alloy cylinder head. • Cubic capacity: 4585 cc/280 cu in. • Bore x stroke: • Valve gear: Two in-line valves per cylinder operated by block mounted camshaft. • Fuel supply: Single Stromberg downdraft carburettor with Schweitzer-Cummins centrifugal supercharger. • Ignition: Coil and distributor, mechanical. • Maximum power: 150 bhp at 4000 rpm
Transmission • Layout: Clutch and gearbox in unit with engine. • Clutch: Single dry plate • Gearbox: Three speed manual with synchromesh on second and third ratios in 'high' ::1st 2.86:1 ::2nd 1.68:1 ::3rd 1.0:1 • Final drive: Spiral bevel with epicyclic gear dual ratio axle. • Ratio: 3:1 and 4.5:1
Suspension • Front: Non-independent with semi-elliptic leaf springs and hydraulic dampers. • Rear: Non-independent with live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs and hydraulic dampers.
Steering • Type: Worm and peg.
Brakes • Type: Lockheed drums front and rear; hydraulically operated.
Wheel and tires • Type: Steel welded spoke wheels with 6.50″ × 15″
Body/chassis • Type: Steel box section X-braced chassis with steel Speedster body, two doors, two seats.
Dimensions and weight • Length: • Width: • Weight:
Performance • Maximum speed: ==Company timeline==