Vehicle Description
To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Auburn
Fall event, 30 August - 2 September 2018.
Estimate:
$150,000 - $200,000
Offered from the Richard L. Burdick CollectionAn authentic example
of one of the great Jazz Age sports cars - the famous �boattail'
speedsterLong-term known ownership history; older, very attractive
restorationSplendid year-correct presentation in Black and Catseye
Green120-hp, 268-cu. in. L-head inline eight-cylinder engine and
three-speed manual transmissionAuburn Cord Duesenberg (ACD) Club
Certified Category 1 (A-259)
The original Auburn speedster, which was adapted from a Duesenberg
show car bodied by McFarlan, was a performance icon that was
advertised as "the biggest package in the world for the price." As
it sold for under $1,000 but offered a remarkable top speed of 100
mph, thanks to special chassis and engine modifications unique to
this model, it became a legend in its own time. Not only did it
make everything else look old-fashioned overnight, but it also had
an emphasis on open-air performance for two passengers, making it
the only true American sports car of its time.
The example offered here is one of two dozen surviving authentic
first-generation speedsters remaining in existence and is built on
the most desirable 120 chassis, a.k.a. �The Big Eight.' It has a
known history since new, having been acquired by Richard Paulison
of Watchung, New Jersey, from the original owner's chauffeur in the
1950s. Eventually it was inherited by Mr. Paulison's daughter,
Barbara Byerly, in 1968. In 1991 she sold it to longtime ACD Club
member Biff Behr of Illinois, who passed it two years later to
Bruce Barnett of Arizona. Richard L. Burdick acquired the car,
already restored to its present appearance, from a Florida
collection in 2007.
Certified by the ACD Club as a Category 1 Original Car, this
speedster would be a highlight of any Classic automobile
collection. It is the only true American sports car of its era!To
view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/AF18.
