1932 Auburn 12-160A Boattail Speedster

1932 Auburn 12-160A Boattail Speedster

Alan Leamy designed the Auburn speedster at the young age of 28, and George Kublin, Auburn's chief engineer, designed its 160 horsepower Lycoming V12 engine. The engine featured dual Stromberg downdraft carburetors and dual exhausts. To highlight the new engine, an October 26, 1931 announcement heralded the revival of the Auburn Speedster. In V-12 guise, lightweight speedsters could reach 110 mph, helped along by a 'dual-ratio' two-speed rear axle from Cord's Columbia Axle Company, which enabled the engine to cruise along with little effort at speeds far above the legal limit.

Twelve new records were set, including the fastest speed recorded by any strictly stock American car at 100.774 mph for one mile and an average 88.953 mph for 500 miles. Fitted with a sharply raked V-shaped windshield, a boattail deck, and a top that disappeared behind the cockpit, the Speedster was sleek in an era when most cars weren't.

The car was very advanced for its day, yet it was quite reasonably priced at $1,425. It featured Auburn's newly developed Columbia 2-speed differential, which effectively gave the car six forward speeds as well as cockpit-adjustable shock absorbers and a Startix system that automatically restarted the engine if it stalled. Auburn reportedly built 84 Speedsters for 1932, of which less than 20 were equipped with V-12 engines like this example.

This car's history can be traced back to the late 1950s, but it has recently been restored.

Descriptions & pictures by conceptcarz & bonhams & thirdman