Footnotes

The first Auburn car had been built by the Eckhart brothers of Auburn, Indiana in 1900. A variety of models followed before the brothers sold out in 1919. Prescience was obviously an Eckhart strong point, as the ensuing post-war recession hit Auburn hard. From the moment Errett Lobban Cord joined Auburn as general manager in 1924, the company's fortunes improved markedly. In 1925 he arranged for Lycoming straight-eight engines to be installed in the existing six-cylinder chassis, and instigated a re-styling exercise that saw the new-for-'25 Auburns featuring two-tone colour schemes and a novel belt-line that swept up over the bonnet. Sales doubled for three consecutive years. The new Auburns were soon challenging Stutz for the accolade of 'America's fastest'. Not only were they outstanding performers, the eight-cylinder Auburns also represented exceptional value for money: at $1,395 the top-of-the-range '31 Speedster was less than half the price of the equivalent Stutz. 'More car for the money than the public has ever seen,' declared Business Week magazine.

Despite the introduction of the world's cheapest-ever V12, Auburn's fortunes declined through the mid-1930s as Cord's business empire expanded to include Lycoming, Duesenberg, Columbia Axle, and Checker Cab plus interests in shipbuilding and aviation. Against this background Auburn's eight-cylinder line reached its zenith in 1935 with the introduction of the 851. One of the truly great American automobiles of the 1930s, the Auburn 851 offered breathtaking performance - 100 miles an hour was guaranteed - courtesy of its 4.6-litre, supercharged straight-eight, plus sensational looks in the form of a streamlined, boat-tail speedster body created by Duesenberg designer Gordon Buehrig. Sadly, just two years later Cord's empire had crashed and Auburn was gone for good, but few automobile manufacturers can have bowed out with anything approaching the style of the glorious 851.

Since the original company's demise there have been several attempts to resurrect the brand, the 'Auburn Automobile Company' name being used by at least two restoration shops in recent years. Built by the 'Auburn Automobile Company', this 851 Speedster Replica has a rare factory-size body and an Auburn chassis mid section. Said to have taken 1,000 hours to build, the car incorporates factory-type chrome bumpers, rare stock trim pieces, a special windscreen, custom leather interior, power disc brakes, and a tilting steering wheel, and is powered by a General Motors 396ci (6.5-litre) V8 engine fitted with Patriot aluminium cylinder heads.

Should the vehicle remain in the UK, local import taxes of 5% will be added to the hammer price.