1935 Auburn Model 851 Cabriolet

Errett Lobban Cord became Auburn's General Manager in 1924. One of his acts of genius was to liven up unsold models sitting in the lots of the small town's factory. The new paint schemes with brilliantly nickel-plated trim coupled with savvy marketing tripled car sales in each of the following three years. His skills were tested again during the early 1930s when the world slipped into the Great Depression. It would ultimately destroy businesses from coast to coast. The Indiana business remained strong thanks to an offering of skillfully styled, well-engineered, and well-built products. In 1935, the company offered an optional Switzer-Cummins centrifugal supercharger. This increased output by 30 percent to a remarkable 150 horsepower on the Auburn-Lycoming eight-cylinder engine. This, coupled with the newly restyled styling by the brilliant young designer, Gordon Buehrig, brought the Auburn cars to a new level. Buehrig redesigned the front end with a new grille and hood line. Auburn's signature new feature for 1935 was the supercharging of the top-of-the-line models. Buehrig also incorporated the external exhaust that had become a symbol for supercharged engines, an image made famous largely from the Model SJ Duesenberg.

This 1935 Auburn 851 SC Convertible Coupe has a 280 cubic-inch side valve eight-cylinder supercharged engine rated at 150 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual gearbox, Columbia two-speed rear end, and four-wheel hydraulic brakes. It was fully restored in the late 1990s and remains in superb condition. The odometer reads just under 19,905 miles, which is believed to be correct from new. Some of the features of this car include engine tuned dash, dual wipers, fold-down windshield, a side mount spare, stainless exhaust, and chrome wire wheels with wide white wall tires. It is equipped with complete polished stainless steel exhaust system from the front to rear, a rumble seat, and Trippe Speedlights.

In 2009, this 851 SC Convertible Coupe was offered for sale at the Houston Classic Auction in Seabrook, Texas, presented by Worldwide Auctioneers. The lot was estimated to sell for $160,000 - $180,000. As bidding came to a close, the lot had sold for $130,000, plus the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2011