1931 Auburn Model 8-98A Cabriolet

The devastating effects of the Great Depression resulted in the Auburn marque reducing its model lineup for 1931 to just the 8-98, which also gained a new design courtesy of in-house stylist Alan Leamy. A respected designer within the automotive marketplace, Leamy had been hired away from Marmon three years prior and immediately tasked with designing the new front-drive car then under development (the Cord L-29).

The sleek and sporty styling of the Auburn 8-98 complemented its improved mechanical sophistication, thanks in part to its 268 cubic-inch straight-eight Lycoming engine, three-speed manual transmission, and four-wheel drum brakes. Beneath the graceful coachwork was the first use of X-bracing on a rear-wheel drive car, along with Bijur lubrication, Lovejoy hydraulic shocks, semi-elliptical suspension all-around, and an optional L.G.S. Freewheeling unit. With prices that range from $945 to 1395, Fortune magazine described it as 'the biggest package in the world for the price.'

The Auburn 8-98 was offered in a variety of body styles across two trim lines - a standard model and a more luxurious 8-98A Custom, which added $200 to the price.

This 1931 Auburn 8-98A Custom Cabriolet is finished in a polychrome red livery beneath a black cloth convertible top. Purchased by its current owner in 1988, the car was subsequently submitted to a painstaking and notably accurate body-off restoration to concours-presentation standards, which was completed in late 1995. The work included several modern upgrades to make it more suitable for touring, including the addition of custom-ground 'hot' camshafts, an overdrive conversion, an electric fan, and twin Stromberg carburetors.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2024