Istorie
The “Boattail” Speedster was introduced in 1928 as an open two-seater version of the Auburn 8 model. The design had sharply raked doors and windshield and a narrow two-passenger body ending in a boat tail-like fluid rear end. The Speedster's distinctive boat tail is attributed to Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky, a pioneer of streamlining, and to Alan Leamy, the renowned Cord L-29 designer.
This exquisite Auburn 8-115 Speedster was extensively rebuilt at the Tiriac Collection workshop.
Full description
Established in 1903 by brothers Frank and Morris Eckhart, the Auburn Automobile Company produced some of the most-desirable, aesthetically striking and technologically innovative automobiles.
In 1924, Auburn was a low-production company, assembling just under 2,500 cars per year. And that was more than meeting the demand. Errett Lobban Cord visited Auburn to see what he could find a solution for the struggling company. Cord became Auburn's general manager, at modest salary and with the option of buying control if he could save the company.
A little stylish nickel plating and some flashy repainting, and the Auburns began to sell In 1925. Cord contracted some Lycoming straight-eight engines, had chief engineer James Crawford fit them into the old six-cylinder Auburn chassis, and introduced the result to the Auburn range as the Auburn 8-63 (63hp) and 8-88 (68hp).
Two-tone color schemes and a beltline gracefully sweeping over the top of the hood distinguished these Auburns, styling so modish that it would be effectively retained until 1930. In three consecutive years Cord doubled sales, and by 1926 he was president of the Auburn Automobile Company.
In 1928, the more powerful second series 8-88 (88hp) and the new 8-115 (115hp) had hydraulic instead of the former mechanical tour-wheel brakes and Bijur lubrication, a rarity for a car in the medium-price class.
The “Boattail” Speedster was also introduced in 1928. It was an open two-seater version of the Auburn 8 model, whose stylish range now also included a Roadster, a Cabriolet, a Sedan, a Sport Sedan and a Phaeton Sedan. The design had sharply raked doors and windshield and a narrow two-passenger body ending in a boat tail-like fluid rear end. The Speedster's distinctive boat tail is attributed to Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky, a pioneer of streamlining, and to Alan Leamy, the renowned Cord L-29 designer.
An 1928 Auburn 8-115 Speedster set a new one-mile speed record of 108.460 mph for stock cars at Daytona Beach. While this feat brought people into the showroom, only 226 Auburn 8-115 Speedsters were produced in 1928.
Auburn’s total year production reached 12,899 cars, almost double than in 1927. Still, the most successful year for Auburn was around the corner: the company went to sell 23,509 cars in 1929, the last year before the Great Depression.
This exquisite Auburn 8-115 Speedster was extensively rebuilt at the Tiriac Collection workshop. The car was bought in 2015 and the restoration began in 2016. Even if the engine and the transmission were functional, their condition was far from best. The braking system and the body also needed thorough work. The wooden structure was rebuilt by a specialist and some engine parts – cylinders, pistons, valves - were manufactured locally. The welding and repainting operations were done in order to match the production process in the original factory.
