The Auburn Automobile Company was founded
in Indiana, USA, in 1900. In the following years, business with small cars
was difficult at a price of $800 apiece – nearly three times what Henry
Ford charged for his Model T.
Only after WWI sales were picking up, and in 1926 Errett Lobban Cord integrated
Duesenberg Motor Company and Auburn into Duesenberg Inc. The depression
caused the company to struggle, although Cord displayed the first american
front-wheel-drive car in 1929. The same year saw the appearance of the
Duesenberg Model J. Its racing engine delivered 265hp to propel the vehicle
to 185km/h (115mph). Further development of the engine with a supercharger
resulted in 320hp in 1932. Thus the Duesenberg SJ models were probably
the most powerful cars on america’s streets at the time. One of them topped
243km/h (151mph) on the Bonneville Flats in 1935.
A Duesenberg wasn’t just bought, one acquired
the chassis at about $8500 (compare to the price of a Ford Model A at just
$400), which was then equipped with bodyworks by specialised coachbuilders
according to the owner’s whims (as long as they kept within the general
appearance of the brand). In total, the car might have cost between $15.000
and 20.000. For a smaller budget, the company offered Auburns and Cords,
with a price tag of $1995 to $2145 for a Cord 810 in 1936 and $3500 for
an Auburn 851 Supercharged Speedster.  Sales
dropped again in the mid-thirties and the middle-market Cord 810 was hailed
as the saviour. However, the design proved to be too revolutionary (Gordon
Buehrig’s coffin-nose was even patented in its own right) and production
problems caused delivery delays. In 1937 the company ceased production. |
