For Sale at Auction: 1936 Auburn 851 in Amelia Island, Florida

Chassis No. 35455E?
Engine No. GH5253
Body No. 144

By the mid-1930s, the Auburn Automobile Co. once again found itself against the ropes. Just over a decade since E.L. Cord famously swept in to transform the ailing company into a style and performance leader, the effects of the Great Depression again had Auburn in dire financial straits. Company directors again hoped that a halo model would drive foot traffic to showrooms, which is precisely what the earlier Speedsters of 1928-1932 had accomplished so well. Auburn brought over chief designer Gordon Buehrig from Cord, charging him with the design of a new Auburn Speedster.

The jaw-dropping new Auburn 851 Speedster debuted in 1935 with much fanfare. Buehrig created a fabulous rakish design characterized by a bold grille, chrome exposed exhaust pipes, voluptuous fenders, and the distinctive "boattail" rear. To save money, Auburn utilized surplus bodies from 1932, which Buehrig cleverly disguised - using only the mid-section of the cabin and top frame. The fenders, tail, hood, and most of the cowl were all new, and in the end, Buehrig felt that the new Speedster was even better balanced and prettier than his own Duesenberg design that inspired it. Power came from Auburn's proven Lycoming eight-cylinder engine, this time fitted with a Schwitzer-Cummins supercharger adapted by August Duesenberg. The blower brought power from 115 horsepower to an impressive 150, and the standard Columbia dual-ratio rear axle gave additional top speed. Each sleek and audacious Auburn Speedster sold wore a dash plaque emblazoned with the engraved signature of the great racer Ab Jenkins proclaiming it had "been driven 100.6 miles per hour before shipment" - which was a touch fanciful but nevertheless reflected the Auburn Super-Charged Speedster's impressive performance.

This striking 1936 852 Super-Charged Speedster, serial number 35455E, is said to be the sixth from the last built and has been in the long-term care of one family for well over a half-century. Wonderfully presented in an appropriately sporty shade of red, reported to be the original color, 35455E wears a pleasingly mellowed older restoration, and benefits from recent service. The red paintwork suits Gordon Buehrig's flamboyant styling remarkably well, particularly with this car's matching wire wheels, black wall Firestone tires, tan interior, and tan canvas disappearing top, forming an aesthetic that is decidedly purposeful.

Correspondence on file from a respected marque historian documents the ownership history of 35455E back to 1936, when it was delivered new via Bittdorf Motors of Baltimore, Maryland. The first owner's name is not recorded, but the Speedster was soon offered again by Bittdorf as a used car in 1937. The following year it was acquired by local used car dealer John Phillips, who reportedly sold the car in 1939 to a Mr. Shervet, also from Baltimore, for $250. Subsequent owners are tracked through the late 1930s and 1940s, and, in 1948, fellow Baltimorian Ted Brinkman bought the Speedster for a reported $750. He owned the car through 1953, when it passed through the hands of two additional owners, in Pennsylvania and New York. Finally, in 1962, the mighty Auburn 852 Speedster found its "forever home" with Harold Mistele of Michigan. In 1972, the torch was passed to Charles Mistele of North Carolina, and 35455E has remained in the care of the Mistele family until today.

Benefiting from such long-term single-family care, 35455E remains highly authentic. Wonderful details abound, from the goddess mascot atop the radiator shell and mimicked on the flanks, to the polished fender stone guards and still plates, and Auburn-branded taillamp lenses. The cockpit features beige leather upholstery on the bench seat and door panels, a correct rubber front floor mat, and a matching tan canvas soft top that includes removable side curtains and rods with a stowage bag. The instruments are in fine order, set in an art-deco dash with authentic switchgear and controls. Beneath the hood rests Lycoming's 280 cu-in eight, bearing the proper "GH" type prefix denoting it as the top Super-Charged Speedster engine. The blower wears a Schwitzer-Cummins serial number tag, and the engine compartment has been kept nicely detailed with period-correct labels, markings and hardware. Despite having kept a relatively low profile over the years, the car is known by the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club.

In preparation for sale, it has undergone a thorough service by a marque specialist who reported it to be a strong running and driving car at the time of cataloging. As offered, 35455E is a most appealing candidate for participation in tours and events with the Classic Car Club of America or the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Club. The availability of this remarkable Super-Charged Speedster represents an incredible opportunity not only to acquire a lovely example of this legendary pre-war performance car, but also to be its first new steward in sixty-two years.