Auburn

Lola Deshaines’s Auburn 851 SC (supercharged) Boattail Speedster represented a pinnacle of automotive achievement in 1936. To begin with, it had great presence, equal parts elegance and aggression (see accompanying photograph). It was also very fast. The threaded chrome exhaust pipes flowing down from the hood hint at the powerful engine, a hefty 4.6 liter straight-eight that was supercharged and produced about 150 bhp—a lot in those days for just a two-seater, and enough to break many a speed record at Bonneville (e.g. fastest flying start mile at 104.17 mph, and fastest over 1,000 miles at an average speed of 102.77 mph). Each individual 851 Speedster was driven at over 100 mph before leaving the factory and had a plaque mounted on the dash to certify it:



It was a superb sports car, but who could afford them in the Depression?—Auburn ceased production in 1937.

Strange to say, 851 Boattail Speedsters are still manufactured: several companies offer modern replicas, mainly for the SoCal market.

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