1916 Auburn Series 6-38 "Chummy" Roadster

1916 Auburn Series 6-38 "Chummy" Roadster

Today the Auburn name is most associated with its flamboyant speedsters of the late 20s and 30s and its association with the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Corporation. To ignore its early years would be to dismiss some of the more interesting and clever products the Indiana manufacturer produced.

Auburn began production in 1900 and built singles and twins exclusively until 1909. The big twin was particularly impressive making 24hp. In 1909 the first of the fours were introduced and they would become the foundation for the new models going forward. An upmarket inline six was introduced in 1913 with the lineup eventually consolidating under the six-pot banner by 1917. A change of ownership in 1919 witnessed little change in engineering but the acquisition of the company by E.L. Cord in 1924 heralded real changes. Lycoming straight eights came in 1925 and the company would then go on to produce its famous Boattail Speedster until Cord's empire imploded in 1936.

Much as Duesenberg's Model J largely eclipsed the memory of the Model A that had proceed it—and E.L. Cord's ownership of Duesenberg—the early Auburns such as this 6-38 "Chummy" Roadster are rare survivors. Is a 1916 Auburn Series 6-38 "Chummy" Roadster

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