Auburn Automobile Company Showroom Gallery
Magnificent automobiles, positioned in this momentous historical context, render the museum both distinctive and unique, charged with a significance that is absolute and irrefutable. The classic cars - rich in history, technological innovation, unduplicatable luxury and aesthetic beauty define the stature of the Auburn Automobile Company with clarity and excitement.
As you browse through the original art deco showroom you will experience Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg motorcars of the classic era (1925 - 1937). You will be taken back to the golden age of the 1930s where the products of companies owned by Cord Corporation were displayed. Auburn Automobile Company dealers from 93 foreign countries and 48 states could visit this showroom to select Auburn Automobile Company products for their dealerships nearly 80 years ago!
A few automobiles featured in this gallery include:
• 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Beverly - This Cord automobile belonged to the E.L. Cord Family for over 70 years. E.L. Cord was the owner of the Auburn Automobile Company and the namesake for the automobile. The unique Cord has 10,000 miles on the odometer.
• 1930 Auburn 8-125 Sports Sedan - This rare Auburn belonged to automotive writer and scholar, Beverly Rae Kimes and her husband, Jim Cox. The Auburn was given the pat name of "Ralph" by Kimes and is believed to be the only example known to exist.
• 1932 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Torpedo Convertible Coupe - This was the first Duesenberg owned by the museum. Previous owners include celebrities Cliff Durant, J. Paul Getty and John O'hara. Don Carr, the donor, from Yellow Springs, Ohio, drove this Duesenberg for more than 30 years.
• 1932 Cord Prototype "E-1" - Auburn Automobile Company created this one-off prototype to replace the Cord L-29 in 1932. The result was a 157 inch wheelbase, 200 horsepower V-12 engined super car. Unfortunately, due to the economic state of the 1930s, the project was scrapped and only this prototype survived. Donated by Cord Historian Paul Bryant and his wife Martha.
• 1931 Cord L-29 Speedster - This one-of-a-kind Cord L-29 Speedster was built from photos of the original Cord L-29 Speedster that belonged to Paul Bern, the first husband of silverscreen star Jean Harlow. The original automobile debuted in 1931 at the Paris auto show and is not known to exist.