280ci Supercharged Inline 8-Cylinder Engine
Single Carburetor
150bhp at 4,200rpm
3-Speed Manual Transmission with Dual-Ratio Differential
Front and Rear Leaf Spring Suspension
4-Wheel Drum Brakes

*One of fewer than ten examples built with right-hand-drive
*Known ownership history since 1947
*Well-maintained restoration by marque specialist John Ehresman
*Original engine, chassis, and body
*Auburn Cord Duesenberg (ACD) Club Certified Category 1

THE AUBURN BOATTAIL SPEEDSTER

One of the most exciting American automobiles of the 1930s, Auburn's sleek Speedster of 1935-36 boasted extraordinary Art Deco design by Gordon Buehrig and a supercharged Lycoming eight-cylinder engine, offering staggering performance. Each car was individually guaranteed to exceed 100 mph in stock form, and could be driven easily at modern highway speeds thanks to an innovative Dual-Ratio rear axle that provided a low and high range for each gear. Today it is widely considered one of the all-time Classic Era masterpieces, and the survivors are fiercely prized.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

Serial no. 851 33094 E is one of fewer than ten 1935-1936 Speedsters delivered as export models with right-hand-drive; its serial number originally had an "L" suffix, signifying the export status. It was originally delivered with the rare options of a heater and a dashboard-mounted radio.

The Auburn was shipped to British distributor Clifford Taylor Automobiles Ltd., on London's Berkeley Square, whose badge is still present on the body today. According to the car's ACD Club Certification, it was brought back to the United States from England in 1947, and two years later sold to a Mr. Formicelli of Trumbull, Connecticut.

The car was bought from Mr. Formicelli by the respected Connecticut-based Auburn expert and restorer, John Ehresman. In 1994 Mr. Ehresman sold the car to longstanding ACD Club member, Bruce Earlin of Milford, Pennsylvania, and proceeded to complete a painstaking restoration for the new owner over the next three years. Such was the level of detail that the original body number, damaged by time, was stamped into the new sill wood, while the serial number plate was restamped with a conventional "E" (for Speedster) suffix. At completion of the restoration, the car achieved a Primary First and Best of Show at the ACD Club Eastern Spring Meet in early 1998, 100 points and a Primary First Prize at the CCCA Eastern Grand Classic that spring, and a Senior First at the ACD National Reunion that autumn. Further, the car was awarded the aforementioned ACD Club Category 1 Certification, no. A-341.

Mr. Earlin subsequently sold the car to Greg Ornazian of Michigan, after which it passed through the hands of collectors in Pennsylvania and Ontario before joining the stable of the Langes. With its chromed wheel covers and blackwall tires, the car's Ehresman restoration is very well-maintained and still highly attractive and authentic overall, as seen by its ability to continue to win awards, including Best in Class at the Louisville Concours d'Elegance in 2012, and remains an beautiful and lovely example of the Auburn Speedster to this day.