Auburn

Auburn was an American automobile brand that produced cars between 1900 and 1937. In 1925, the company was acquired by Erret Cord, who incorporated it into his Cord Corporation a few years later. In 1937, that concern went bankrupt due to the Great Depression, and that also marked the end for the Auburn brand.

History of Auburn

In 1875, the Eckhart Carriage Company was founded by Charles Eckhart in Auburn, Indiana. This company produced carriages. Eckhart's two sons, Frank and Morris, began experimenting with automobiles, and in 1900, they founded their company with a starting capital of $2500: Auburn Automobile. In 1903, Auburn built its first production model with a single-cylinder engine and a hand crank. In 1905, a two-cylinder model was added, followed by a four-cylinder in 1910 and a six-cylinder in 1912. In 1909, Auburn acquired two other local automakers and moved to a larger factory. The company began to do well, but the First World War caused material shortages, and the factory was closed.

Auburn 120 Speedster from 1929

After the First World War, the Eckhart brothers were bought out by a group of investors from Chicago. However, these investors were less successful than hoped, and in 1924, the successful car salesman Erret Cord was brought in to pull the company out of its slump. Cord, however, made a counteroffer, and in 1925 he became the owner of the company. Under his leadership, the Auburn models received improved styling and more horsepower, and sales started to pick up again. Alongside Auburn, Cord also acquired the car manufacturer Duesenberg over and brought a car with his in 1929 own name on the market. Eventually, he brought all the brands together into one company: the Cord Corporation.

Auburn 8-90

The new style of Auburn

Auburn cars were of high quality but unremarkable. Cord wanted to make the brand something distinctive and striking, and the Auburn 8-88 was the first result of his attempt. However, the model was not yet to his liking. He introduced an eight-cylinder engine and multi-colored paints intended to distinguish the Auburn from the competition. Nevertheless, the price of the models rose by 52% in 1926, while the average increase in the industry was only 1%.

The end of Auburn

The Great Depression ultimately ruined Cord's company. Although the cars were attractive and advanced, they had simply become too expensive. In 1932, Auburn introduced a V12 engine. However, sales continued to decline, and due to the poor economy, Cord had no choice but to sell his shares. In 1937, production of all brands, including Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg, was discontinued.