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HomePick of the DayArt Deco classic cabriolet: 1933 Auburn 8-105  

Art Deco classic cabriolet: 1933 Auburn 8-105  

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A big, beautiful pre-war classic car has loads of appeal for any collector, except for what’s usually a major sticking point: a massive price tag.  Yet here is an absolutely lovely Auburn convertible such as Lauren Bacall might have driven in a film noir, and which is offered at a fairly reasonable price.

The Pick of the Day is a 1933 Auburn 8-105 cabriolet that is powered by a Lycoming straight-eight engine with a two-speed rear for highway cruising.  The styling was masterfully created by Alan Leamy, who is also responsible for some great Cords and Duesenbergs. 

Wide whitewalls set off the Auburn's spoke wheels
Wide whitewalls set off the Auburn’s spoke wheels

The Auburn is described by the St. Louis dealer advertising it on ClassicCars.com as a “charming piece that presents with a well-earned patina, coming most recently from long-term single-family ownership in California.” 

The convertible also has a nice back story, which the dealer recounts in the ad description.

“The story of the most recent owners begins in the 1960s, with a young man named Ed who had struck a deal with his father: If Ed would quit smoking, his father would buy him a car,” the dealer tells. “So the young man dutifully kicked the habit in hopes of waking up one morning to find something like a brand-new Impala convertible in the driveway. In the end, his father came through on the deal, but the car was quite a bit different from what Ed had hoped for.

The Auburn is powered by an Lycoming straight-8
The Auburn is powered by an Lycoming straight-8

“The car he bought his son was this 1933 Auburn cabriolet, which young Ed saw as ‘just an old car,’ later confessing that he was pretty disappointed at first sight. But the charm of (the) pretty Auburn quickly grew on him, even though it was clear that his father had really bought the car for himself!

“Soon, he and his dad were working on the car regularly and (the) whole family grew quite attached to the Auburn. In fact, it would remain in their possession and care for the next four-plus decades.”

The Auburn is in fine running condition after “a recent mechanical overhaul,” according to the ad, and the body and chassis are solid and rust free.  The car could be kept as is or could “serve as the basis of a straightforward cosmetic restoration,” the dealer notes.

The original gauges are mounted in an Art Deco array
The original gauges are mounted in an Art Deco array

“In spite of its careworn appearance, this Auburn is in remarkably good mechanical condition and has been very well-maintained through the years,” the ad says. “The body is also quite straight and while the paint is glossy, it is fairly weathered (and) lifting in places. The chrome is in generally good condition, and while it is showing its age in places, it is sound and straight, including the beautifully curved bumpers.” 

The Auburn looks highly appealing in the ad photos, and the price tag seems very fair at $68,500.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

 

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Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Beautiful car & actress & I love Film Noir, although she would have been about 9yrs. old if driven when new & Film Noir wasn’t an established art form till post WWII. I like the gist of the author’s meaning, but facts matter.

    • Belle … très belle … elle a quelque chose d’intemporel
      Cette auto est un trait d’union entre le passé et le présent
      Superbe et j’aimerais la voir rouler

  2. God what an awesome car…….So cool……love the art deco styling. My favorite web site is Classic Cars .com Thank you.

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