1935 Auburn Eight Supercharged Cabriolet

We’ve featured all sorts of vehicles here on the pages of The Coolector but, it’s fair to say, not too many quite as striking and possessing vintage vibes quite as impactful as this 1935 Auburn Eight Supercharged Cabriolet that is going under the hammer with luxury auction house, RM Sotheby’s. This extraordinary looking machine will definitely be a popular lot when it comes up in their Open Roads Auction and if you’ve always wanted to ride around in something that looks like its hewn from Prohibition era America, now’s your chance.

The 1935 Auburn Eight Supercharged Cabriolet from RM Sotheby’s has a guide price between $140k and $160k so, needless to say, you’re going to require deep pockets if you want to add this one to your line up of classic cars but it will undoubtedly be a worthwhile investment and the crowning glory of any collector’s haul. This lot was formerly owned by Jim Miller and the Blackhawk Collection and also had a previous long-term ownership by a well-known Auburn Cord Duesenberg (ACD) Club member so it’s been in safe hands.

CLASSICALLY STYLED

Though the Auburn Automobile Company was originally founded in 1903 and matured into a well-respected maker of classy cars, it was not until E.L. Cord took the company’s presidency in 1924 that its reputation grew exponentially. In fact, as the auto market collapsed during the Great Depression, Auburn’s sales continued to increase. By 1931, Auburn was the 13th largest American automaker. The success was, alas, short lived, as sales fell drastically in 1932 and 1933. Despite Herculean effort, great styling, good performance, and bargain pricing, the combined effects of the Great Depression, management turmoil, and E.L. Cord’s complex business affairs led to Auburn’s demise in 1937, just two years after the lot offered here by RM Sotheby’s originally left the factory. A remarkable rise and fall of an iconic car brand.

An awful lot of cabriolets around today are altered Auburn coupés, but the example here is known to be a genuine and an authentic cabriolet. Attesting to this is its long-term ownership by well-known and knowledgeable Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club members, amongst them the late Jim Miller, of Baden, Ontario, as well as the Blackhawk Collection. The gentleman who sold the car to the penultimate owner, an ACD Club member for many years, possessed the 1935 Auburn Eight Supercharged Cabriolet for nearly a decade and he had it refinished in its striking black and red colour scheme around 2013. The polished disc wheels are correct, rare and valuable, and the red leather interior is in the original design. Most importantly, perhaps, it has the correct “Dual Ratio” rear axle, a standard feature of the supercharged cars, still functions properly. In addition, the AM radio, wipers, gauges, and turn indicators all function properly.

The 1935 Auburn Eight Supercharged Cabriolet being offered here by RM Sotheby’s won an array of trophies in local showings and was driven reliably in the club’s 2010 Can-Am Meet tour in the Detroit area, prior to its purchase in 2014 by the penultimate owner. After this purchase, this majestic looking machine was sent to France before being sold at auction in Germany to the most recent owner, who subsequently brought the Auburn back to the United States which is where it is being offered for sale. Fancy something a little different in your classic car line-up? You’ve just found the ideal candidate.

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Images: Remi Dargegen