Lot 20
1935 Auburn 851 SC Boattail Speedster
Estimate:
$800,000 - $900,000
Sold for
$1,012,000
Live Auction
Pebble Beach 2018
Description
Chassis: 33212E
Engine: 6H4514
Addendum
*Please note that this vehicle’s engine number is GH4514, not 6H4514 as stated in the catalogue.
Car Highlights
Gordon Buehrig’s Iconic Boattail Design
Authentic Restoration Finished in Signature Cigarette Cream
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® Featured Class Winner in 2007
One of 40 Examples of the 1935 Speedster Known to the ACD Club
Auburn’s Supercharged Art Deco “King of the Highway”
Welcome at ACD and CCCA Events
Technical Specs
280 CID Lycoming L-Head Inline 8-Cylinder Engine
Single Stromberg Downdraft Carburetor
Schwitzer-Cummins Centrifugal Supercharger
150 HP at 4,400 RPM
3-Speed Manual Gearbox with Columbia 2-Speed Rear End
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes
Front Beam Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
Live Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
A supercar in its day, Auburn’s 851 Boattail Speedster was endowed with styling that promised performance, and its drivetrain and chassis more than delivered. Auburn’s earliest boattail design first appeared in 1928, and performance was boosted in 1935, courtesy of the addition of a Schwitzer-Cummins supercharger. This car presents all the desirable Speedster attributes in a meticulously restored, show-winning example.
Master designer Gordon Buehrig inherited the earlier Auburn Boattail design and was charged with updating its appearance to create a halo car used to draw customers into the showroom. Inspired by his own “fishtail” Model J Duesenberg Speedster design, Buehrig’s masterful touch incorporated modern, enclosed pontoon fenders with a more streamlined front end. In his book Rolling Sculpture, Buehrig compares the two Duesenberg Speedsters he designed to the Auburn, stating: “These two cars are extremely interesting in that they are similar to the Auburn Speedster I designed a couple of years later.” His preference for the Auburn is clear: “On the Auburn I got a better design.” His interpretation of boattail styling, primarily the domain of custom coachbuilders up to that time, brought this iconic design to a production automobile.
Not content with the normally aspirated Lycoming inline eight-cylinder engine, Auburn engineers added 35 hp, courtesy of the supercharger, which ran at six times the crankshaft speed. Off-the-line performance benefited with 0–60 mph times in the under-15-second range. Top-end speed and cruising ease also were enhanced, thanks to the Columbia two-speed rear axle, which provided a significant drop in rpms. These engineering enhancements were validated when Ab Jenkins shattered 70 speed records in July 1935 at the Bonneville Salt Flats behind the wheel of a stock supercharged Auburn Boattail Speedster. Period Auburn brochure verbiage proudly announced the Speedster as “the world’s fastest stock car,” with each example carrying a plate certifying a top speed of 100 mph or more. Priced at $2,245, it carried a hefty 30% premium over Auburn’s next-most expensive model with total production estimated at around 150 examples between the 1935 and 1936 model years.
The first owner of this car was Chris Savers of Chicago, and by 1945 Chicago dealer John Troka, added it to his inventory. Chassis 33212E returned to its production state of Indiana during ownership by Ron Schirmer of Indianapolis, in partnership with J.M. Walden. Its next owner, Gilbert Horton of Jamestown, North Dakota, acquired the car in 1983, enjoying it for 14 years. The next owner of this Speedster was Dr. Donald Vesley of Tampa, Florida, who owned an impressive stable of noteworthy performance automobiles including examples of Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Duesenberg, Mercedes-Benz, and Stutz. One of his last acquisitions was this Auburn Boattail Speedster, purchased in 1997.
Engine: 6H4514
Addendum
*Please note that this vehicle’s engine number is GH4514, not 6H4514 as stated in the catalogue.
Car Highlights
Gordon Buehrig’s Iconic Boattail Design
Authentic Restoration Finished in Signature Cigarette Cream
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® Featured Class Winner in 2007
One of 40 Examples of the 1935 Speedster Known to the ACD Club
Auburn’s Supercharged Art Deco “King of the Highway”
Welcome at ACD and CCCA Events
Technical Specs
280 CID Lycoming L-Head Inline 8-Cylinder Engine
Single Stromberg Downdraft Carburetor
Schwitzer-Cummins Centrifugal Supercharger
150 HP at 4,400 RPM
3-Speed Manual Gearbox with Columbia 2-Speed Rear End
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes
Front Beam Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
Live Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
A supercar in its day, Auburn’s 851 Boattail Speedster was endowed with styling that promised performance, and its drivetrain and chassis more than delivered. Auburn’s earliest boattail design first appeared in 1928, and performance was boosted in 1935, courtesy of the addition of a Schwitzer-Cummins supercharger. This car presents all the desirable Speedster attributes in a meticulously restored, show-winning example.
Master designer Gordon Buehrig inherited the earlier Auburn Boattail design and was charged with updating its appearance to create a halo car used to draw customers into the showroom. Inspired by his own “fishtail” Model J Duesenberg Speedster design, Buehrig’s masterful touch incorporated modern, enclosed pontoon fenders with a more streamlined front end. In his book Rolling Sculpture, Buehrig compares the two Duesenberg Speedsters he designed to the Auburn, stating: “These two cars are extremely interesting in that they are similar to the Auburn Speedster I designed a couple of years later.” His preference for the Auburn is clear: “On the Auburn I got a better design.” His interpretation of boattail styling, primarily the domain of custom coachbuilders up to that time, brought this iconic design to a production automobile.
Not content with the normally aspirated Lycoming inline eight-cylinder engine, Auburn engineers added 35 hp, courtesy of the supercharger, which ran at six times the crankshaft speed. Off-the-line performance benefited with 0–60 mph times in the under-15-second range. Top-end speed and cruising ease also were enhanced, thanks to the Columbia two-speed rear axle, which provided a significant drop in rpms. These engineering enhancements were validated when Ab Jenkins shattered 70 speed records in July 1935 at the Bonneville Salt Flats behind the wheel of a stock supercharged Auburn Boattail Speedster. Period Auburn brochure verbiage proudly announced the Speedster as “the world’s fastest stock car,” with each example carrying a plate certifying a top speed of 100 mph or more. Priced at $2,245, it carried a hefty 30% premium over Auburn’s next-most expensive model with total production estimated at around 150 examples between the 1935 and 1936 model years.
The first owner of this car was Chris Savers of Chicago, and by 1945 Chicago dealer John Troka, added it to his inventory. Chassis 33212E returned to its production state of Indiana during ownership by Ron Schirmer of Indianapolis, in partnership with J.M. Walden. Its next owner, Gilbert Horton of Jamestown, North Dakota, acquired the car in 1983, enjoying it for 14 years. The next owner of this Speedster was Dr. Donald Vesley of Tampa, Florida, who owned an impressive stable of noteworthy performance automobiles including examples of Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Duesenberg, Mercedes-Benz, and Stutz. One of his last acquisitions was this Auburn Boattail Speedster, purchased in 1997.
