1934 Auburn 1250 Twelve Sedan

Production of the Auburn automobile began in 1900. The company was founded by the Eckhart brothers, former carriage builders in Auburn, Indiana. After World War I, the government was slow to pay automakers for war work and Auburn cars could be sold due to lack of instruments, which Auburn could not pay for. The company was saved when hotshot Moon car salesman, Erret Lobban Cord, took charge. He dressed up the Auburns and soon owned the company. He later combined Auburn with Duesenberg and created the stylish, front-drive Cord. The company ended production in 1936 due to the Depression.

The Auburn V-12 engine was a powerhouse. With Ab Jenkins at the wheel of an Auburn, it set many speed records, some of which survived until after World War II. The engine was later used as a fire truck engine by American LaFrance until the mid-1960s.

Despite the failing economy and declining sales caused by the Depression, luxury automakers such as Cadillac and Packard began introducing larger, more powerful 12 and 16-cylinder engines. To keep pace, Auburn unveiled its new V12 Lycoming engine in 1932, which became the least expensive twelve-cylinder engine ever marketed. The 391 cubic-inch engine offered 160 horsepower and cost the company over $1 million to design and tool, yet the lowest-priced car sold for as little as $975. However, sales struggled, and 1934 was the last year for the Auburn V12.

Auburn's V12 may have been a steal for new car buyers when it was introduced in 1932 but it was no bargain for the company. The engine project cost one million Depression-era dollars which was never recouped. Like the Duesenberg straight eight, the Auburn Twelve was built by Cord's Lycoming division. The V12's unique architecture included a 45-degree bank angle, four main bearings, and a single camshaft operating horizontal 'semi-overhead' valves via long rocker arms. Displacing 391 cubic inches and featuring a separate intake manifold and carburetor for each bank, it developed 160 horsepower.

Auburn introduced an upscale Salon series for 1933 in an attempt to boost lagging sales. The Salon featured more chrome, fancier bumpers, an upgraded interior, and a v-shaped windshield and rode on a 127-inch wheelbase. The Salon series continued in 1934 on the Model 1250.