Auburn Automobile

Auburn Automobile was an American automobile manufacturer based in Auburn, Indiana. The company developed from the Eckhart Carriage Company, a carriage-making business established by Charles Eckhart in 1874. His sons, Frank and Morris Eckhart, experimented with motor vehicles and eventually organized automobile production under the Auburn name in the early twentieth century. The business expanded by absorbing other local vehicle makers and by moving into a larger Auburn plant, but its early operations remained comparatively modest. World War I created severe materials shortages and interrupted production. In 1919, the Eckhart brothers sold controlling ownership to Chicago investors led by Ralph Austin Bard. The new owners attempted to revive the manufacturer, but Auburn continued to struggle financially. In 1924, the investors recruited automobile salesman Errett Lobban Cord to manage the company. Cord instead negotiated control of Auburn, marketed its unsold inventory aggressively, and completed a takeover by the end of 1925. His arrival began the most ambitious period in the company's history. Cord used Auburn as the foundation of a broader automotive group that also included Duesenberg, Cord, and Central Manufacturing. Under his direction, Auburn production increased substantially and the marque adopted more dramatic styling, more powerful engines, and increasingly sophisticated engineering. The company became particularly associated with its straight-eight automobiles and Auburn Speedsters. The 1928–1936 Speedster series, culminating in models such as the 851, combined a long hood, boat-tailed rear body, bright exterior colors, and high performance. Supercharged versions could exceed 100 miles per hour, helping the cars attract publicity and buyers in affluent and entertainment-industry circles. The company also benefited from the work of designers and engineers including Alan Leamy and Gordon Buehrig. Buehrig contributed to the styling of Duesenberg automobiles before designing important Auburn and Cord products. His work on the 1935 Auburn 851 Speedster and the Cord 810/812 helped establish the visual identity for which the Cord-Auburn-Duesenberg group is remembered. Auburn's association with the group gave it access to advanced design and engineering, although it also exposed the company to an expensive product portfolio and an increasingly complicated corporate structure. The 1929 stock-market crash and the Great Depression undermined demand for Auburn's upscale vehicles. The cars offered considerable performance and visual distinction, but their prices were difficult to sustain in a depressed market. Auburn attempted to diversify during the middle of the decade, including producing kitchen cabinets and sinks, while continuing to sell automobiles. Cord's business and financial practices also attracted regulatory scrutiny. In 1937, he sold his holdings after an injunction by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and automobile production by Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg ended that year. The Auburn marque was discontinued after 1936, while Cord automobiles were produced in separate periods through 1937. The company entered bankruptcy reorganization in 1940. Its remaining operations were merged with Central Manufacturing Company to form Auburn Central Manufacturing Corporation, renamed American Central Manufacturing in 1942. During World War II, the successor business shifted toward defense production, manufacturing large numbers of bodies for Willys and Ford quarter-ton jeeps, as well as trailer bodies and aircraft components. After the war, its principal business moved toward kitchen sinks, appliances, and cabinets. The automotive marque itself did not return to regular production. Auburn's surviving cars, especially the Speedsters, are now significant collector and museum vehicles. The company's former headquarters in Auburn became the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2005. Auburn is therefore remembered less as a surviving commercial brand than as an important part of the classic-era American performance and luxury-car tradition. The Auburn Automobile Company was an American automobile manufacturer headquartered in Auburn, Indiana. It grew out of the Eckhart Carriage Company, established by Charles Eckhart in 1874, and was developed as an automobile enterprise by his sons Frank and Morris Eckhart. The company produced its earliest automobiles in the first years of the twentieth century and expanded after absorbing other local automotive operations and moving into a larger Auburn facility in 1909. Auburn initially operated as a relatively modest regional manufacturer. Its early products included conventional touring cars, but the business was disrupted by materials shortages during the First World War, which forced the plant to close. In 1919, the Eckhart brothers sold controlling interest to Chicago investors led by Ralph Austin Bard. The new ownership revived production but struggled to make the company consistently profitable. A decisive change came in the mid-1920s, when the investors approached automobile salesman Errett Lobban Cord. Cord obtained control of Auburn through an arrangement that amounted to a leveraged takeover, completing the acquisition by the end of 1925. He pursued aggressive inventory sales, expanded production, and reorganized Auburn within a broader automotive group that also included Duesenberg, Cord, and Central Manufacturing. This strategy transformed Auburn from a small regional producer into a manufacturer associated with high-performance styling, advanced engineering, and relatively accessible luxury compared with the more expensive Duesenberg and Cord marques. The Auburn marque became particularly well known for its eight-cylinder cars and Speedster models. The Auburn Speedster variants of the late 1920s and 1930s combined long, low bodywork with high-performance engines and distinctive boat-tail styling. Designers including Alan Leamy and Gordon Buehrig helped establish the visual identity of the company and its affiliated marques. Auburn's Indiana operations also supported the production of vehicles and bodies associated with Cord and Duesenberg, giving the company an important role in Cord's integrated automotive organization. The stock-market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression sharply reduced demand for expensive automobiles. Auburn's engineering and styling remained innovative, but its upscale products were poorly matched to a market increasingly focused on affordability. The company attempted to diversify around 1935 by producing kitchen cabinets and sinks, yet the effort did not restore the automobile business. Cord ultimately sold his interests in 1937 following regulatory pressure related to his automobile holding company. Auburn automobile production ended that year, along with production of the Cord and Duesenberg marques under the same corporate organization. The former company's industrial assets had a substantial afterlife. After a bankruptcy reorganization in 1940, the Auburn Automobile Company and Central Manufacturing Company were combined as Auburn Central Manufacturing, later renamed American Central Manufacturing. During the Second World War, the successor business manufactured bodies for Willys and Ford quarter-ton jeeps, as well as trailer bodies and aircraft components. After the war it concentrated on kitchen sinks, appliances, and cabinets. The former Auburn headquarters in Auburn later became the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, preserving the company's legacy alongside the histories of Cord and Duesenberg. The 1929 stock market crash and the Great Depression weakened demand for Auburn's upscale cars. The cars offered considerable performance and visual distinctiveness, but their prices were difficult to sustain in a depressed market. Auburn attempted diversification in the mid-1930s, including the production of kitchen cabinets and sinks, while continuing to sell automobiles. Cord's business and financial conduct also drew regulatory scrutiny. In 1937, after an injunction from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, he sold his holdings, and automobile production by Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg ended that year. The Auburn brand ceased production after 1936, while Cord automobiles were built separately until 1937. Auburn's surviving cars, especially the Speedster models, are now significant collector and museum vehicles. The company's former headquarters in Auburn became the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum and was designated a National Historic Landmark.

Auburn Automobile originated in the Eckhart Carriage Company, founded by Charles Eckhart in Auburn, Indiana, in 1874. Eckhart's sons, Frank and Morris, experimented with automobiles and began producing vehicles under the Auburn name around 1903. The company expanded locally, absorbing other manufacturers and moving to a larger facility in 1909. Its early cars were conventional American vehicles, including touring cars, but production was interrupted by material shortages during World War I. In 1919, the Eckhart brothers sold control to Chicago investors led by Ralph Austin Bard. The investors revived production but failed to make the business consistently profitable. They brought in Errett Lobban Cord in 1924 to manage Auburn. Cord negotiated control instead, completed a leveraged acquisition, and reorganized the company around more aggressive sales, styling, and production plans. Auburn became part of Cord's wider automotive interests, which included Duesenberg, Cord, and Central Manufacturing. During the late 1920s, Auburn moved toward performance-oriented luxury cars. Its straight-eight models and Speedsters offered dramatic styling and strong performance while occupying a less expensive position than the group's Duesenberg automobiles. The company benefited from designers such as Alan Leamy and Gordon Buehrig. The Auburn Speedster became the signature product, especially in its later supercharged forms. Auburn's manufacturing and sales growth during this period reflected Cord's efforts to create a coordinated portfolio of American luxury and performance marques. The 1929 financial crash and the subsequent Depression sharply reduced demand. Auburn's automobiles were comparatively expensive for the economic environment, and the company's dependence on upscale vehicles became a major weakness. Cord's group also faced increasing financial and regulatory difficulties. Auburn sought alternative revenue by producing household goods such as cabinets and sinks, but the strategy did not restore sustainable automobile demand. Cord relinquished control in 1937 after regulatory action by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Automobile production under the Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg marques ended in 1937, although the marque histories and surviving vehicles continued to influence classic-car culture. In 1938, former Auburn executives acquired the remains of Pak-Age-Car and briefly continued delivery-vehicle activity. A 1940 bankruptcy reorganization led to the combination of the former Auburn Automobile and Central Manufacturing businesses as Auburn Central Manufacturing Corporation. The successor was renamed American Central Manufacturing in 1942. Its most important wartime role was the manufacture of military vehicle bodies. It received contracts from Willys-Overland and Ford for quarter-ton jeep bodies, in addition to producing trailer bodies and aircraft components. After the war, the company's manufacturing focus moved toward sinks, appliances, and cabinets. Automotive body production continued for a period, but Auburn automobile production was never revived. The former Auburn headquarters in Auburn, Indiana, became the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2005. Auburn's enduring historical importance rests on its Speedsters, its role in Cord's interlinked automotive empire, and its contribution to the design language and performance-car culture of the American classic era. Auburn's industrial roots lay in the Eckhart Carriage Company, founded by Charles Eckhart in Auburn, Indiana, in 1874. His sons Frank and Morris experimented with automobiles before establishing a sustained motor-vehicle business around the beginning of the twentieth century. The company absorbed other local automobile operations and moved into a larger plant in 1909. Its early cars were modest products by later standards, including touring cars with single-cylinder engines and planetary transmissions. World War I created materials shortages that forced the plant to close. In 1919, the Eckhart brothers sold controlling interest to Chicago investors headed by Ralph Austin Bard. The new owners restarted production but could not make the company reliably profitable. In 1924 they approached Errett Lobban Cord, an experienced automobile salesman, about managing the business. Cord instead negotiated control of Auburn and completed the transaction by the end of 1925. Cord increased production and marketed unsold inventory aggressively. He also built Auburn into part of a larger automotive structure that included Central Manufacturing, Duesenberg, and the Cord marque. The group sought to cover several levels of the luxury market: Auburn offered high-performance cars at a lower level than Duesenberg, while Cord emphasized technical novelty and Duesenberg represented the most exclusive offering. Auburn's Speedsters, especially the 1928–1936 variants and the 1935–1937 851, became its best-known products. The company employed influential designers. Alan Leamy contributed to the appearance of the 1933 Auburn Speedster, while Gordon Buehrig worked within Cord's organization and later designed the Auburn 851 Speedster and the Cord 810/812. Auburn's manufacturing capabilities were connected to the production of bodies and vehicles for the affiliated marques, helping create a vertically coordinated automotive group. The 1929 market crash exposed the weakness of the group's luxury-oriented strategy. Auburn cars were technically capable and visually striking, but their prices were difficult to sustain during the Depression. The company tried to preserve its facilities by entering the kitchen-cabinet and sink business around 1935. Cord's wider automobile interests also came under regulatory pressure, and he sold his holdings in 1937. Automobile production by Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg ceased that year. The industrial complex did not disappear immediately. Former Auburn executives acquired the remains of Pak-Age-Car in 1938, although its delivery vehicles were discontinued after the shift to wartime work. A 1940 bankruptcy reorganization combined Auburn's former operations with Central Manufacturing under Auburn Central Manufacturing, renamed American Central Manufacturing in 1942. During the war the successor company built jeep bodies for Willys-Overland and Ford, in addition to trailer bodies and aircraft components. After 1945, sinks, appliances, and cabinets became its principal products. Auburn's former headquarters is now associated with the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, a major repository of the marque's history.

• 2005

  Former headquarters receives landmark designation

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The former Auburn headquarters, now associated with the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, received National Historic Landmark recognition.

• 1942

  Successor renamed American Central Manufacturing

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Auburn Central Manufacturing adopted the American Central Manufacturing name as wartime production expanded.

• 1941

  Wartime jeep-body production begins

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The successor company received an initial Willys-Overland contract for jeep bodies and subsequently expanded wartime production.

• 1940

  Post-bankruptcy reorganization

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The former Auburn business was reorganized and combined with Central Manufacturing as Auburn Central Manufacturing.

• 1937

  Auburn automobile production ends

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Cord sold his interests and production of Auburn automobiles ended, together with production of the affiliated Cord and Duesenberg marques.

• 1935

  Auburn 851 Speedster developed

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Gordon Buehrig designed the influential 851 Speedster, one of the best-known late Auburn models.

• 1935

  851 Speedster introduced

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Gordon Buehrig designed the 1935 Auburn 851 Speedster, one of the marque's most recognized cars.

• 1928

  Auburn Speedster era begins

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Auburn's Speedster variants emerged as a defining product family and became central to the marque's performance image.

• 1925

  Cord completes takeover

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Errett Lobban Cord completed his acquisition of Auburn and began its transformation into a larger luxury-automobile group.

• 1924

  Errett Lobban Cord joins Auburn

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Cord was invited to manage Auburn and began the process that resulted in his control of the company.

• 1919

  Control passes to Chicago investors

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The Eckhart brothers sold controlling interest to a Chicago investment group led by Ralph Austin Bard.

• 1909

  Move to a larger manufacturing plant

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Auburn expanded its facilities after absorbing other local carmakers.

• 1904

  First documented Auburn touring car

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The 1904 Auburn touring car used a single-cylinder engine, a two-speed planetary transmission, and seating for two or four passengers.

• 1903

  Automobile production begins under the Auburn name

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Frank and Morris Eckhart moved from experimentation into organized automobile manufacturing, establishing the Auburn marque.

• 1900

  Auburn automobile business founded

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Frank and Morris Eckhart developed the family enterprise into an automobile manufacturer.

• 1874

  Eckhart Carriage Company founded

  [1]Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Charles Eckhart founded the carriage business in Auburn, Indiana, providing the industrial foundation from which the automobile company later developed.

Auburn positioned itself as a maker of distinctive American performance and luxury automobiles, combining dramatic styling and strong mechanical performance with prices generally below those of the most exclusive Duesenberg and Cord models. American luxury and performance automobiles with distinctive styling, advanced engineering, and a comparatively accessible price relative to the Duesenberg and Cord marques.

• Touring car · 1904

  Auburn 1904

  An early Auburn touring automobile with a centrally mounted flat single-cylinder engine, two-speed planetary transmission, angle-steel frame, and semi-elliptic springs, with seating adaptable for two or four passengers. It represents the company's transition from carriage manufacture to motor-vehicle production. An early Auburn touring car configured for two or four passengers. It used a centrally mounted flat single-cylinder engine, a two-speed planetary transmission, an angle-steel frame, and semi-elliptic springs. The model illustrates the company's origins as a small American manufacturer before its later move into large luxury and performance automobiles.

• Passenger car

  Auburn 8-77

  A representative Auburn model from the marque's straight-eight period. The 8-77 belonged to the company's effort to offer substantial performance and upscale styling within the broader Auburn range.

• Passenger car

  Auburn 8-Eighty-Eight

  The 8-Eighty-Eight was one of Auburn's late straight-eight automobiles. It formed part of the brand's performance-oriented range before the economic conditions of the Depression and the company's financial problems ended production. The 8-Eighty-Eight (also styled 8-88) was one of Auburn's late straight-eight automobiles. It represented the company's effort to offer substantial performance and luxury equipment within the Auburn range, below the price and exclusivity associated with Duesenberg, and formed part of the brand's performance-oriented range before the economic conditions of the Depression and the company's financial problems ended production.

• Luxury automobile

  Auburn 12

  The Auburn 12 represented the company's attempt to compete in the higher-priced American automobile market with a larger, more prestigious model. It is among the marque's historically documented prewar offerings. The Auburn 12 was a twelve-cylinder model offered in passenger-car and Speedster forms. It belonged to the company's high-end product strategy during the Cord era, when Auburn sought to combine large-engine performance, elaborate styling, and luxury-car appeal. The model was discontinued when the company's automobile operations closed. The Auburn 12 was a twelve-cylinder model offered in passenger-car and Speedster forms. It represented the company's attempt to compete in the higher-priced American automobile market with a larger, more prestigious model during the Cord era, when Auburn sought to combine large-engine performance, elaborate styling, and luxury-car appeal. The model was discontinued when the company's automobile operations closed.

• High-performance sports automobile · 1928

  Auburn Speedster

  The Speedster was Auburn's signature product family. Its long hood, low profile, boat-tailed body, powerful straight-eight engine, and sporting presentation made it one of the most recognizable American classic cars. Supercharged versions were capable of more than 100 miles per hour and gave Auburn a strong performance identity. Designed in the mid-1930s with major styling input from Gordon Buehrig, the 851 Speedster was a late expression of Auburn's blend of flamboyant design and accessible luxury-car performance. It refined the marque's signature Speedster formula with streamlined styling and strong performance, and is now one of the marque's most sought-after collector vehicles. The Auburn Speedster was a family of visually dramatic performance cars produced during the marque's strongest period. Its low profile, boat-tail bodywork, long hood, and available high-output straight-eight engines made it an important image product. Later versions, including supercharged cars, were marketed as fast luxury automobiles and became especially associated with Auburn's historical identity. The 851 Speedster was designed by Gordon Buehrig and produced in the final years of Auburn automobile manufacturing. It refined the marque's signature Speedster formula with streamlined styling and strong performance. The model is among the best-known Auburn automobiles and is frequently cited as an example of the company's combination of Art Deco appearance, engineering ambition, and relatively attainable luxury positioning.

• Front-wheel-drive luxury automobile · 1929

  Cord L-29

  The Cord L-29 was produced within Errett Lobban Cord's broader automotive organization and used front-wheel drive, an unusual layout for an American luxury car of its period. It was a Cord-branded product rather than an Auburn-branded model, but formed part of the same corporate history.

• Front-wheel-drive luxury automobile · 1935

  Cord 810/812

  The Cord 810 and 812 were advanced front-wheel-drive cars styled by Gordon Buehrig. Their hidden headlamps, streamlined body, and engineering innovations made them important products of the Cord-Auburn-Duesenberg group, although they carried the Cord name.

• Luxury automobile

  Auburn 8-88

  The 8-88 was an eight-cylinder Auburn passenger-car model. It represented the company's effort to offer substantial performance and luxury equipment within the Auburn range, below the price and exclusivity associated with Duesenberg. The model formed part of the marque's late-period portfolio before Auburn automobile production ended in 1937.

• Military vehicle body · 1941

  Jeep bodies

  After automobile production ended, the successor industrial operation manufactured bodies for Willys and Ford quarter-ton military jeeps during World War II. It also produced trailer bodies and aircraft components, making the former Auburn facilities significant wartime suppliers rather than consumer automobile producers.

• 1937

  Regulatory action involving Cord's automobile holdings

  Errett Lobban Cord sold his holdings in the automotive group after an injunction from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission concerning further violations. The episode accompanied the collapse of the Cord-controlled automobile businesses and the end of Auburn production. Errett Lobban Cord came under an injunction from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to refrain from further violations connected with his automobile holding company. He sold his holdings in 1937, after which Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg automobile production ended.

  Source

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• 1941

  Conversion to wartime vehicle-body productionStrategy

  Background

  After bankruptcy reorganization and combination with Central Manufacturing, the successor business had manufacturing capacity suitable for defense contracts.

  Action taken

  Auburn Central Manufacturing accepted contracts for Willys and Ford quarter-ton jeep bodies, as well as other military and aircraft-related components.

  Aftermath

  The successor company became an important wartime supplier and later concentrated on household metal products rather than passenger automobiles.

  Source

• 1940

  Reorganization into Auburn Central ManufacturingStrategy

  Background

  Following the end of Auburn automobile production, the company's assets required restructuring.

  Action taken

  The former Auburn Automobile Company was merged with Central Manufacturing and reorganized as Auburn Central Manufacturing, later renamed American Central Manufacturing.

  Aftermath

  The successor secured major wartime contracts, including production of jeep bodies for Willys-Overland and Ford.

  Source

• 1935

  Diversification into household goodsStrategy

  Background

  The Depression reduced demand for Auburn's relatively expensive automobiles and weakened the company's ability to rely on vehicle sales.

  Action taken

  Auburn began producing kitchen cabinets and sinks in an effort to keep the business operating.

  Aftermath

  The diversification did not prevent the end of automobile production in 1937, but related manufacturing capabilities survived through the successor company.

  Source

• 1928

  Expansion of the Auburn Speedster rangeProduct launch

  Background

  Cord sought to make Auburn a distinctive performance and luxury marque while keeping it below the price and exclusivity of Duesenberg.

  Action taken

  Auburn developed and promoted Speedster variants with dramatic boat-tailed styling, straight-eight power, and optional supercharging.

  Aftermath

  The Speedster became the marque's defining product and its strongest surviving symbol.

  Source

• 1925

  Cord completes control acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Auburn had remained unprofitable after its purchase by Chicago investors. Errett Lobban Cord was initially approached as a manager but negotiated to take control of the company.

  Action taken

  Cord completed a takeover and reorganized Auburn around aggressive sales, increased production, and a broader portfolio of performance and luxury automobiles.

  Aftermath

  Auburn became the platform for Cord's larger automotive group and entered its most visible period of growth.

  Source

• 1925

  Cord takes ownership of AuburnM&A

  Background

  The Chicago investor group had revived Auburn but continued to face profitability problems. Errett Lobban Cord was initially approached as a manager.

  Action taken

  Cord countered with an offer to take over the company and completed the acquisition through a leveraged arrangement.

  Aftermath

  Auburn became the foundation of Cord's broader automotive organization and increased production and product ambition.

  Source

1. 1Auburn Automobile Companyen.wikipedia.org