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1933 Auburn 8-101 news, pictures, and information

Convertible Sedan
 
The Auburn Automobile Company was founded in 1900 by the Eckhart brothers in Auburn, Indiana. By 1924, Errett Lobban Cord had become general manager of the struggling car maker, which formed the foundation upon which his automotive empire was built. In 1929, he gathered all of his diverse car related companies into on entity, The Cord Corporation. Auburn continued to produce quality cars at affordable prices until 1936. This Model 8-101A uses a Lycoming straight-8 on a 127-inch chassis. It has just returned from the 2007 A-C-D Festival.

This 1933 Auburn is an 8-101A four-door Convertible Sedan. In the rear is a trunk, though it varies in appearance to the modern-day trunk. The car has dual mounted side spare tires with mirrors attached on both spares. It is in excellent condition, and was shown at the 2007 Eastern Concours of the United States.

By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2007
Coupe
 
There wasn't much change for the 1933 Auburn except an upscale Salon trim line was added. The 1933 Auburn was one of the most affordable and dependable automobiles on the road.

This car is powered by a 268.6 cubic-inch Lycoming engine that boasted a whopping 100 horsepower and featured standard free wheeling. There is a two-speed rear differential, chrome wire wheels and a rumble seat. (The Lycoming engine plant was part of the Cord business empire.)

In 1932, the Depression had taken its toll on the company, as less than half of the Auburns produced were sold. The unsold 1932 models were mostly renumbered to series 101 and 161, thus making up a good portion of introductory sales figures for 1933. Only 5,000 units were ever sold.

What sets this coupe off is its unusual top, a retractable roof panel - the only one known to have been installed. It was patented by an Ohio-based German-born mechanical engineer and inventor, Conrad Jobst, who also developed gradient compression garments for the medical industry.
Cabriolet
 
1933 was the final year of the Alan Leamy styling on the eight-cylinder line of Auburns that had debuted in 1931. 1931 had been Auburn's most successful sales year with 32,301 vehicles sold for the calendar year. By 1933 sales had plummeted to a mere 4,813.

This vehicle is an 8-101A Cabriolet which was designated as an eight-cylinder custom series automobile. It is believed that around a dozen such examples were produced for the 1933 model year. The 1934 Auburn line would mark a dramatic shift in styling to a more streamlined and modern look.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2010
The Auburn 8-101 and 8-101A were produced during the early 1930s. The eight symbolized the number of cylinders while the 101 represented the amount of horsepower produced by the engine. Most Auburn models came with the Lycoming 8-cylinder engine along with Midland steel-draulic brakes. The engine output was rated at 100 horsepower at 3,400 rpm and had a 268.6 cubic inch displacement.

The 'A' behind the number, i.e. the 8-98A, 8-100A, and 8-101A, means that this car is a custom or at least a deluxe model and has a few more included options such as a dual-ratio rear axle -usually wire wheels -an upgraded interior in hardware and fabric, and a few extra moldings.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2007
In 1928 Auburn introduced two Lycoming-powered eight-cylinder engines, one rated at 88 horsepower and the other at 115 horsepower. These became the bases for the 8-88 Model and the 8-115 Model; their designation obviously in reference to the engine. These new models were given hydraulic drum brakes to aid in stopping power and to help keep the Speedsters in the driver's control.

The styling was performed by either Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky or possibly Al Leamy. Al Leamy was a recent addition to the Auburn staff and would become famous in the years to come, with the design of the L-29 Cord automobile.

The Speedster models were very elegant and eye-catching. They featured hood louvers, a raked windshield, twin side-mounted spares, and a boattail rear-end.

The Model 8's were given a wide-ratio three-speed gearbox and rested on either a 125- or 130-inch wheelbase, depending on the model. The 8-115 had the larger size.

1929 brought few changes to the Speedsters; they were now known as the 8-90 and the 8-120. The naming scheme varied slightly from prior years, as horsepower was not rated at 96 and 125 respectively, but the names did not necessarily match. This increase in power was due to a change in the fuel system.

1929 was a great year for the Auburn 8 Models, and enjoyed record sales numbers. The company chose to make minimal changes for the following year, as the cars were selling well and most of their attention was diverted to the upcoming front-wheel drive Cord models.

In 1930 horsepower again improved, now rated at 100 for the smaller eight. The name 'Speedster' no longer appeared as part of the Model 8 name. It would re-appear the following year (In 1931), as the company wanted to put emphasis on performance.

The larger eight-cylinder engine was dropped, as was both of the six-cylinder engines. The 8-95 Model was bored-out to 268.6 cubic-inches and brought about the 8-98 model (and featured 98 horsepower). It was available in either Standard or Custom guise. The Custom line had an 'A' in the name to help distinguish it from the Standard line (appearing as 8-98A) and featured a free-wheeling, heavy, X-braced frame. Other options included dual-ratio rear axle, wire wheels, upgraded interior in hardware and fabric, and extra moldings.

Thanks in part to the onset of the Great Depression, the 8-98 sold for $350 less than the prior 8-95 Sedan of the 1930s. The Sedan sold for $995 while the Speedster for $945. Some experts say that the construction was not as solid as prior years, plus the Lockheed Hydraulics were replaced by Midland 'Steel-draulic' mechanical brakes. Still, Fortune reported the Auburn Model 8's as 'the biggest package in the world for the price.'

In 1932, the Styling remained mostly unchaged; mechanically, things were different. A new Startix automatic starter was added; Custom models were fitted with Delco ride regulations which were shock absorbers that were adjustable from the driver's compartment. This allowed a softer or firmer ride depending on the drivers needs at the time. Custom models also were given a vacuum-controlled two-speed axle known as Dual Ratio. This also gave drivers the freedom of selecting a 4.54:1 or 3.00:1 gear ratio. The 4.54 offered better performance while the 3.00:1 had better economy.

The Free-wheeling option, which had previously cost $85, was now standard on both the Custom and Standard models.

With all these mechanical improvements to the vehicle, it was amazing that prices continued to decrease. The Speedster sold for $845, a full $100 from the previous year.

In 1933, a Salon version was added to both the 8- and 12-cylinder series.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2008
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