1934 Auburn 1250 Twelve

At the tender age of fifteen, Errett Lobban Cord, commonly known as E.L. Cord, left school in pursuit of a job as a car salesman. After a successful stint in that profession, he began working as a mechanic in a service station located in Los Angeles. This led to modifying his Model T's to include bodywork and engine modifications. He later moved to Chicago where he went back to selling vehicles. He moved to Milwaukee, where he opened his own car distributor company and by 1924, was looking to purchase his own manufacturing company.

When the Auburn Automobile Company prompted him with an offer Cord a top-level management position, he accepted but under conditions. He demanded that he be given 20% of the profits and complete control of the company. He also stated that he wanted the option to buy the company once it recovered. The partners, at this point, were on the verge of bankruptcy, so they accepted the offer.

Cord had a profound knowledge of marketing and was very business savvy. During his career, he purchased Duesenberg, cab companies, an Aircraft Company, and a New York shipyard. By 1932 he purchased controlling interests in the Aviation Corp, which later became American Airways and is currently known as American Airlines.

His fortunes turned during the mid-1930s as the stock market crashed, and the Great Depression brought many of his businesses to a bitter end.

The Auburn Company had turned a considerable profit during the 1920s, but keeping up with the changing market was difficult. The cylinder wars of the early 1930s sent many companies struggling to keep up with the changing technology and mechanical advancements. Auburn answered this challenge in 1932 with the creation of its twelve-cylinder engine in 'Vee' configuration. To stimulate even more interest, the 12-160A was offered at an incredibly low price, at just under a thousand dollars. At that price, it has remained in history as the lowest 12-cylinder vehicle ever produced. Many people feared that the quality of the engine of the vehicle was reflective of the price. This mindset backfired and as a result, did not sell as well as intended. By year-end, the company had lost more than a million dollars.

The 6.5-liter Lycoming engine produced a respectable 160 horsepower and enough torque to propel the vehicle to around 100 mph. One of the most ingenious components of the vehicle was the 'Dual Ratio' differential which was operated by a dashboard lever. There were high and low ratios available for each of the three gears, which improved fuel and oil consumption. The end result was less strain and wear-and-tare on the engine.

Cord had encountered problems with the Securities and Exchange Commission and fled to England in 1933. Harold Ames was left in control, though times were difficult since production had fallen nearly 85%. The 12-161A was introduced in 1933 though never achieved the desired success. The Great Depression, a struggling economy, and the near-bankrupt company were part of the problems.

The Auburn 12-160A Speedster body was the most exclusive of the offering. With their low price tag, the vehicles were a bargain. Tough times and consumer fears were its ultimate demise, and its potential was never realized.

by Dan Vaughan

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.

Salon Cabriolet

Though modest in price in comparison to Duesenberg and Cord, the Auburn was an impressively designed and beautifully made marque and remains so to this day. Auburn introduced an upscale Salon series in 1933 in an attempt to boost lagging sales. The Salon featured more chrome, fancier bumpers, an upgraded interior, and a v-shaped windshield. The Salon series continued in 1934 on the Model 1250.

This Auburn is a top-of-the-line Model 1250, a 12-cylinder, long-wheelbase Salon model cabriolet convertible. This Auburn V12 engine, introduced in 1932, set many speed records, some of which survived until after World War II. The 6,433cc (6.43-Liter) V12 engine was coupled to a four-speed manual transmission capable of propelling this 4,870-pound vehicle to a top speed of 93 miles per hour.

The most distinctive characteristic of the new Auburn was its astounding price: the cheapest model, a two-passenger coupe, was only $975, making it only one-third or one-fourth the cost of a V12 Packard. Five versions were offered beside the coupe: a cabriolet, brougham, sedan, speedster, and phaeton. None cost more than $1,145 in 1932. But as The Great Depression lengthened, Auburn sales fell from 28,103 in 1931 to 11,646 in 1932 and 6,000 in 1933. The V12's last year was 1934.

Salon Speedster
Chassis number: 1122E
Engine number: BB 2530

This Auburn Twelve Salon Speedster was part of the Malcolm S. Pray Jr. Collection. It has Alan Leamy's 'boattail' styling which features chrome trim, unique headlamps, a unique dashboard, and the Salon 'ribbon' bumpers. It is believed that only nine examples were produced by the factory in Auburn, Indiana.

This car has an original Salon Twelve chassis, its original engine, and an original Auburn eight-cylinder speedster body. It was given an intensive restoration that was performed for its former owner, Gordon Apker, in the early 1970s. The car's original chassis number, 1122A, was modified to read 1122E, with 'E' being correct for a factory speedster. The car retains the correct original Salon fenders with their stainless trim, Salon headlamp lenses, as well as the stainless hood louver adornments.

In 1980, this Speedster was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it was awarded Best in Class. It was then brought across the United States to Auburn, Indiana, where it was awarded Best Auburn at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club's National Reunion.

by Dan Vaughan

Salon Cabriolet
Chassis number: 1201 F
Engine number: BB 2219

Auburn produced approximately twenty-seven examples of their Model 1250 Cabriolet, and just five are known to survive. This example is believed to have been delivered in California and had its windshield shortened and top modified to the present configuration early on in its life. It is not known who performed the updates, but it is believed that Auburn did not do the work. The car is known to have existed in this form by the 1940s. At one point in the car's life, it had metal bracing on its inner fenders, indicating that it had been used for dirt-track racing during the 1940s.

Gil Curtright acquired the car in the 1950s and later passed it on to Mel Durham and then to Steve Warner. The next owner was Dr. Bob Hoffman of Redwood City, California, who spent a decade undertaking a restoration. The present owner acquired the Auburn from Dr. Hoffman.

This car is finished in black and pewter livery and has a black top and grey leather interior. Accessories include dual sidemounts with metal covers, a rear-mounted luggage rack with a metal trunk, and Woodlite headlamps. It rides on chrome wire wheels with blackwall tires.

by Dan Vaughan

Phaeton Sedan
Chassis number: 1250 1064 H
Engine number: BB 2481 U

Auburn's 12-cylinder Salon models were launched for 1933 in hopes of boosting sales of the Auburn Twelve. The Salon Twelve had many unique features, including a vee'd grille, unique headlamp lenses, fenders edged in chrome, and 'ribbon' bumpers. It was built on a specially strengthened chassis with adjustable vacuum-boosted brakes. Sales were slow, being the most expensive and luxurious of the 12-cylinder Auburns, with production lasting into 1934.

This particular example has a known ownership history since it was created. The original owner was a Mr. Carter of Pensacola, Florida. The Carters passed away in the mid-1950s. The car, having accumulated around 25,000 miles, was inherited and put into storage by their three children. It remained in a Pensacola garage until 1979 when it was sold to the second owner, Arthur Griffin. It was then given a restoration in its present scarlet livery, with a tan interior and tan cloth top. Mr. Griffin retained the car for a decade.

The car is fitted with many accessories, including dual Pilot Ray steering driving lights and an original Auburn-Crosley radio.

by Dan Vaughan

Phaeton Sedan

Some of the greatest American automobiles ever produced were sparked by the Great Depression. Among them were Auburn's 12-cylinder Salon models launched in 1933. This was a desperate attempt to improve sales of the slow-selling Auburn Twelve. The Salon Twelve boasted numerous unique features, most visibly a new racing-style V-shaped grille, unique headlamp lenses, fenders edged in chrome, and the iconic 'ribbon' bumpers. It was also built on a specially strengthened chassis with adjustable vacuum-boosted brakes. These were not only the best-looking 12-cylinder Auburns but also the most expensive and luxurious.

The Model 1250 carries a 160 horsepower, 391 cubic inches horizontal-valve V-12 engine, three-speed manual transmission, solid front axle, live two-speed rear axle, front and rear semi-elliptic leaf-spring suspension, and four-wheel vacuum-assisted hydraulic disc brakes.

Salon Speedster
Chassis number: 12165 1935 E
Engine number: BB 2317U

The Auburn Twelve Salon Speedster combined the sporty 'boattail' styling penned by Alan Leamy with the potent Lycoming V-12 engine. Resting on a rather generous 133-inch wheelbase frame that was strengthened with a new front A-member, the Speedster was motivated by a 391.6 cubic-inch horizontal-valve engine paired with a three-speed manual transmission with Columbia electric overdrive. A semi-elliptical leaf-spring suspension with Houdaille double-acting shock absorbers was placed at the solid front and live two-speed rear axle, and stopping power was via four-wheel vacuum-assisted hydraulic drum brakes.

Along with the signature boat-tail rear end, styling elements included an abundance of chrome trim, headlamps with unique convex lenses, a radiator cap concealed by the hood, and stylized 'ribbon' bumpers.

The Salon Twelve was actively built only in 1933 but continued to be offered into 1934. It is believed that nine (possibly as many as fourteen) original Speedster examples were built, with its limited production attributed to the Great Depression and Auburn's continuing financial difficulties.

This Auburn has an original eight-cylinder speedster body mounted on an original 1934 Auburn 1250 Salon Twelve chassis (previously numbered 192). Frank Pfenninger purchased the body and chassis from the William Harrah Automobile collection in the early 1970s and combined the body and chassis with an engine from his own Salon Twelve Phaeton. Before the project was finished, it passed to Terry Radey of Ontario, Canada, and instead of giving it a restoration, Mr. Radey sold it to a collector who commissioned Bud Hicks of Marshall, Michigan, to perform a full restoration.

David Graham of California purchased the speedster in 2000 and displayed it at that year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Ownership later passed to Richard Wesselink, who commissioned another refurbishment in the deep, two-tone red over black leather trim it wears today. Around that time, the serial number tag was also changed to 1935 E, as would be correct for a 12-cylinder speedster.

This Auburn was awarded Best Auburn and Best of Show at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club's West Coast prior to its acquisition by the Adderley Collection.

by Dan Vaughan

Phaeton Sedan
Chassis number: 1250 1064 H
Engine number: BB 2481 U

The V12 constituted a small percentage of the Auburn production. In 1933, a Salon edition was launched, the pinnacle of the range with special frame, lights, fenders, trim, rear body, grille and instruments. The model was named the 1250, and only 12 remain today.

Mr. Carter of Pensacola, Florida, paid $1,745 for this car and drove it for 25,000 miles before placing it in storage until 1979. The car was refreshed with new paint, upholstery, and chrome in the 1980s but remained largely unrestored. When the current owner took possession in 2022, the Auburn had its original wiring and door sills, wood, and instrumentation - and even some mud in the frame, possibly from the 1930s.