1929 Auburn 8-90

The Auburn Automobile company began as the Eckhart Carriage Company created by Charles Eckhart in 1874 and based in Auburn, Indiana. Near the close of the 1800s, his sons Frank and Morris built their first runabout which motivated them to enter the business in earnest. The Auburn Automobile Company was organized in 1900, twin-cylinder models were available in 1905, a four-cylinder model in 1909, and a six by 1912. They absorbed two other local carmakers and relocated to a larger plant in 1909. Initially, the company was modestly successful, but material shortages during World War I led to the plant doors being shuttered.

The Eckhart brothers sold the company in 1919 to a group of Chicago-based investors headed by Ralph Austin Bard and included chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr. Under their guidance, the business was revived, but it once again failed. The new Auburn Beauty Six introduced that year was attractive, but the post-World War I recession hindered its sales. Errett Lobban (E.L.) Cord was brought on board to help move the merchandise. He received an offer to run the company, but he countered with an offer to take over completely in what amounted to a leveraged buyout. The Chicago group accepted and E.L. Cord began devising a plan to get rid of the unsold inventory. Cord had the stockpiled Auburns repainted in attractive, bright colors and cleared out the inventory in short order. By the end of 1925, Cord had completed his buyout.

Along with the attractive color schemes, Cord acquired eight-cylinder engines from Lycoming Manufacturing Company and in 1925 introduced the Auburn 8-63 and 8-88 with bargain prices that began at $1,895. In 1928, a boattail speedster version was introduced and was popular and memorable, helping Auburn sales increase to over 23,000 units for 1929. The eight-cylinder models and boattail speedster coachwork helped Auburn cultivate a strong performance image which was further enhanced by driver Wade Morton reaching 108.46 mph on a measured mile at Daytona Beach. He later covered 2,033 miles in 24 hours for a record 84.7 mph average speed at Atlantic City and set a new record at the Pikes Peak Hillclimb.

E.L. Cord acquired the Duesenberg Motor Corporation on October 26, 1926, and on December 1st, 1928 at the New York Car Show, the Model J was introduced. Its purpose was to compete with the most powerful and luxurious automobiles in the world. In 1929, the Cord marque (manufactured by the Auburn Automobile Company) beat the Ruxton automobile to market with the first American production front-wheel drive car. It was the work of engineer Cornelius Van Ranst and the drive system was modeled after the Indianapolis 500 Miller race cars.

E.L. Cord would bring these three companies, along with all his various businesses (over 150 companies he controlled) under the umbrella of the Cord Corporation in 1929. His production facilities were comprised of over 1.5 million square feet of factory floor space, 20 modern buildings, and a 900-foot-long assembly line. They had a total capacity of building 400 bodies and 250 finished cars per day. Despite the vast output, Auburn dealers were still lacking inventory with the average dealership having less than two cars.

During the years of the Great Depression, Auburn continued to rely on advanced engineering, aggressive styling, and attractive pricing. The economic downturn was too great for Auburn and around 1935, the company began producing a line of kitchen cabinets and sinks, to keep the company afloat. Cord's vast empire, which included numerous companies, came into jeopardy when he was investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission for his dealings in Checker Cab stock. Under injunction to refrain from further violations, E.L. Cord sold the Cord Corporation in 1937 to the Aviation Corporation, which included his shares in his automobile holding company. In 1937, automobile production of Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg came to an end. Following a 1940 bankruptcy reorganization, the former Auburn Automobile and Central Manufacturing Companies merged into Auburn Central Manufacturing / (ACM) Corporation.

The 1929 Auburn 8-90

The 1929 Auburn 8-90 rested on a 125-inch wheelbase platform and was powered by a Lycoming straight eight-cylinder engine with a 246.6 cubic-inch displacement and a Schebler downdraft carburetor. It produced 93 horsepower and was paired with a three-speed manual transmission. The suspension was by semi-elliptic leaf springs on solid axles, braking by hydraulic drums, and steering by a cam and lever setup.

Body styles included the tourer and sport sedan priced at $1,400 and a speedster, cabriolet, victoria, and sedan priced at $1,500. The phaeton listed at $1,700.

Auburn's 1929 model lineup included the six-cylinder 6-80 and the eight-cylinder Model 120. The 244 cubic-inch L-head inline eight-cylinder engine in the Model 120 produced 120 horsepower and rested on a 130-inch wheelbase platform. The Model 6-80 had a 120-inch wheelbase and its engine produced 60 horsepower. Prices ranged from $995 to $1,095 for the 6-80 and the Model 120 listed at $1,795 to $2,145. The body style list for the Model 6-80 and 120 was nearly identical to the 8-90, except the 6-80 was not offered as a Speedster and the 120 added a seven-passenger sedan.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2022