Charles Eckhart established the Auburn Automobile Company in 1903. The name of the company was derived from the city in which it was located, Auburn, Indiana. The Auburn vehicles quickly gained a reputation for their reliability, durability, and style. The company endured many profitable years though competition was ever-increasing. Ford's Model T was selling at a very low price which prompted many other marques to find a way to lower their price in an effort to compete at all levels. Technology and mechanical capabilities were constantly improving. To stay competitive, money and resources were required for design, development, and testing. During the 1920s, the Auburn Company was struggling. E. L. Cord was hired to help sell vehicles. As part of the deal, Cord requested that he receive full control of the company and an option to buy it once it was again making a profit. Within a few years, Cord had done the impossible and Auburn was again a profitable company.

In 1928 Cord brought three 8-88 stock vehicles to the Atlantic Speedway, where they broke every speed record from five to five thousand miles. This 1929 Auburn Special Race Car is based on the Auburn Series 88 Speedster. It has seating for two, one for the driver and the other for the mechanic. The body was constructed from alloy and finished in a Bordeaux red paint color. The windscreen, side exhausts, and twenty-inch wire wheels are part of the vehicles racing persona. Under the bonnet was a 246.6 cubic-inch Lycoming eight-cylinder that produced nearly 90 horsepower. The vehicles were suspended in place by elliptic springs in both the front and the rear. Braking power was supplied by four-wheel aluminum hydraulic drum brakes. Power was sent to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox.

by Dan Vaughan