Auburn

Speedster

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RM Sothebys

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Monterey event, 15 - 16 August 2025. rn$175,000 - $250,000 USD rnrnBelieved to have been the example delivered to the revered Sir Malcolm CampbellrnFormerly owned by renowned early collector Gene ZimmermanrnBeautiful restoration and presentation throughoutrnA Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) Full Classicrn rnrnBy far among the most stylish American cars of its era, the original Auburn speedster emphasized open-air performance for its two passengers, making it also the US' only true sports car of the late 1920s. Dramatically styled with lines adapted from a McFarlan-bodied Duesenberg show car, it sold for under $1,000 but offered a remarkable top speed of 100 mph, thanks to special chassis and engine modifications unique to the model. Not for nothing did Auburn advertise it as the biggest package in the world for the price.rnrnThe speedster offered here, a top-of-the-line 8-115 or Big Eight of 1928, is one of the few verifiably authentic survivors. Built as an export model with right-hand-drive, it was supplied to a British owner by Maldon C. Harley & Co., of London, as noted by the seller's plaque on the firewall, and such distinctively European touches as a Lucas King of the Road driving light and Zeiss spotlight, believed to hail from its early years.rnrnIt is believed that the car was originally delivered to Sir Malcolm Campbell, the famous Land Speed record driver, a history that has held to it for much of its known life. Period articles, included in the file, note that an 8-115 speedster was indeed shipped to Campbell, who had been impressed by watching Wade Morton drive a similar model to an average speed record of 104.347 mph on Daytona Beach. It was noted that Campbell intended to enter the car in road races in England and in many contests will drive it himself. Soon afterward he himself became the UK Auburn distributor, out of premises on St. James's Street in London.rnrnAt a later point the car made its way back to its homeland and spent some years on display in Gene Zimmerman's famous museum, Automobilorama of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Auburn was featured in some of the Automobilorama brochures and in a 1970s issue of Vintage Vehicles magazine, wearing British registration YW 9668 as it does today. Later it was purchased by Harold Buck Evans of Massachusetts, who in 1990 sold it to Ted Leonard of Rhode Island. The car remained in The Leonard Collection for nearly 20 years and then joined Sam and Emily Mann's outstanding stable in 2009. David George undertook a mechanical restoration for them, and a cosmetic restoration was completed in California.rnrnWinner of an Amelia Award at the 2018 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, the Auburn is still in beautiful overall condition, and described by Mr. Mann as a very pleasant and extremely powerful automobile to drive-and a very delightful one. Perhaps Campbell did some special tuning. Beyond that, for me, this is one of the most beautiful, exciting-looking automotive designs to have been created in pre-war America. It is a true sports car-of which Sir Malcolm Campbell would undoubtedly approve.To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM Sotheby's website.

Other

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Monterey event, 15 - 16 August 2025. rn$1,000,000 - $1,500,000 USD rnrnThe very first Auburn 851 speedster produced, with numerous early production featuresrnKnown history back to the early 1950s, with several noted collectors rnWell-preserved restoration by RM Auto RestorationrnAuburn Cord Duesenberg (ACD) Club Certified Category 1 (A-101)rnThe most significant example of one of the most beautiful Classics ever builtrn rnrnPlease note that this lot is titled as a 1934.  rnrnTHE AUBURN SPEEDSTERrnrnIn the days when Bugattis crossed France and 4?-Litre Bentleys tore through the British countryside, the American equivalent was the Auburn speedster. The 1*number in the description* speedsters were designed by the legendary Gordon Buehrig. Audacious by the standards of their time, they featured curvaceous bodywork with a straight hood line shooting back from the radiator to a sharply vee'd windshield, down between pontoon fenders, over gently sloping doors, and descending in a graceful taper to the rear bumper.rnrnUnderneath, the speedster shared the same exciting mechanicals as other supercharged Auburn models. The glistening chrome side exhaust heralded the presence of a Schwitzer-Cummins blower, which boosted the horsepower of the Auburn straight-eight to 150 from a normally aspirated reading of 115. The 150 horsepower was sent to a Columbia dual-ratio rear axle, standard equipment on the supercharged models, which provided two ratios for each gear, one low and one high. The ratios could be changed as often as desired while at very low speeds or at a stop by moving the switch in the center of the steering wheel. This provided the supercharged Auburn with much greater flexibility, making it a true driver's car, ideal for both purring through crowded cities and roaring down country lanes.rnrnTHE FIRSTrnrnSerial number *number in the description*0 E, the car offered here was the first of these justifiably iconic automobiles to be produced, carrying body number U47-200 and supercharger number 1001, as well as the very early frame number 1050 and engine number GH 3341-reportedly a very early production block design. Like the other early 851 speedsters, it utilized a leftover 1*number in the description* speedster body, identified by its body number prefix of U47; the rear of the body was extensively reworked to the new Buehrig lines. According to speedster historian and restorer John Ehresman, a later owner of this example, among numerous early-production details, the first 16 speedsters had more enclosed pontoon-style front fenders, and only the first four cars had the pipes emerging through the hood louvers-features both, of course, present on this example.rnrnThe car is believed to have spent its early years in New York and Rhode Island, eventually making its way to Massachusetts, where following an accident it was rescued in the early 1950s by Martin S. Papazian of Worcestershire. In 1956 the Auburn was sold by Mr. Papazian to Paul Walker of West Brookfield, who held on to the car for 30 years and undertook an amateur restoration, installing a new frame to replace the damaged original.rnrnIn 1986 the Auburn was acquired by John Ehresman of Feeding Hills, Massachusetts, a well-regarded restorer and authority in this generation of speedster-in particular, the early production cars, of which he has owned many of the surviving examples. Mr. Ehresman had the Auburn certified by the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club at that year's National Reunion, recording all of its numbers, with Certification Chief Paul Bryant's notation that this unusual speedster shows several unique features, which indicate that it was built as the first 1935 851 model speedster.a very interesting and well-preserved automobile.rnrnMr. Ehresman eventually sold the Auburn to Johnny Pascucci of Connecticut, after which it passed into the hands of Bob Levine of West Orange, New Jersey. While owned by Mr. Levine the car was fully restored by RM Auto Restoration of Blenheim, Ontario, in its present ivory hue with correct leather interior. Following the completion of the restoration in 1994, it went on to receive the Roy Faulkner Award for Best Auburn at the ACD Club National Reunion and later became a Primary First Prize winner with the Classic Car Club of America in 1995.rnrnThe speedster was acquired for the collection of the present owner in February 2001 and has remained a long-term resident of his distinguished stable alongside some of the most significant Full Classic automobiles extant. It has been seldom shown in its ownership and thus awaits a well-deserved return to both ACD circles and to the modern concours world, where its fascinating, excellent provenance and authenticity will likely win new fans and new honors. rnrnSimply put, it is one of the most historic, significant surviving Auburn automobiles.To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM Sotheby's website.

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