COMPANY

The short life of the Auburn Automobile Company began in 1900 in Auburn, Indiana and only lasted until 1936. It started out as an experiment in automobile creation by the two sons of Charles Eckhart, Frank and Morris. The goal was to create a carriage that didn't need to be pulled by a horse. Instead of just turning the work into a hobby it spawned the creation of the Auburn Automobile Company.

Like many other automotive companies of the time World War I led to a shortage of materials as well as financial instability. The brothers opted to sell the business and it changed hands for the first time. Unfortunately, the brand didn't progress and profits were hard to come by.

In 1924 Errett Lobban Cord took over the company. His first act of business was to rid the company of the 700 Auburns, painted black, that were sitting in the lot. He changed the color and created a two-toned look and began the first of many price cuts. His goal was to gain more attention while making car buying more affordable.

But the depression made it almost impossible. It was difficult to produce cars that people could actually afford. Cord was forced to give up the company in 1936. When the Auburn Automobile Company came to an end, 170,000 Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs had been created during the life of the company.

A series of racecars gained lots of attention not only for their wins, but also for the speeds they were able to achieve. 42 miles an hour was the average speed of Mervin Leasure's class stock car in 1910. He went on to win the race held at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. Wade Morton also gained attention for Auburn when he walked away with an average speed of 72 miles per hour. His vehicle was able to endure 10,000 miles. Only a few short years later Morton was able to reach serious speed for the time at 108 miles per hour.

Throughout the ups and downs of the Auburn history, several notable vehicles were produced. The 1904 Auburn was made for touring and could hold up to four passengers. The Cord, also known as the L-29, was the first in a line of luxury cars with a high price tag. Next came the Speedster and then the modified 851 Speedster. The Auburn Boattail Speedster was an important part of life and work in Hollywood at the time.