1934 Auburn Model 850Y

By 1934, the Cord Company was experiencing management turmoil and dire economic conditions in the United States. E.L. Cord had turned his attention to his growing interests in aviation and had, for the last time, resigned as President of the Auburn Automobile Company. Several Cord Corporation executives were given the leadership role of Auburn, but their positions proved to be short-lived and resulted in confusion about management accountability. As production fell, the Auburn plant was shut down, however, administration, engineering, and the factory service department remained in Auburn. Production shifted to the Auburn complex in Connersville.

For 1934, the Auburn Company continued to improve its automobiles and introduced a completely redesigned line with many new features that improved performance, reliability, and comfort. They dedicated financial resources to new tooling for all-steel bodies. The tooling was expensive, but it brought important cost savings in production.

Several items that had been optional in previous years became standard in 1934. One such item was freewheeling from LGS, one of Cord Corporation's many subsidiaries. The Columbia Dual-Ratio rear axle also was made standard, along with four-wheel Bendix hydraulic brakes. The displacement of the Lycoming eight grew to 280 cubic inches, and an aluminum cylinder head was installed, with a 6.2:1 compression and two-barrel carburetor on the Custom 850Y version offering 115 horsepower.

Sales increased by 50% in 1934, however, it did not bring an improvement in financial standings. The cost of introducing new models was expensive and ate into the company's profits.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2014