- Stunning body-off-the-frame restoration by Clayton Restoration Limited
- Best Speedster at the 2018 ACD Club Reunion, Year of the Speedster
- Best in Show at the 2019 10,000 Lakes Concours d'Elegance
- A superb example of one of the most collectible cars from the pre-war era
LOT 664
Selling on Saturday Evening
1931 Auburn 8-98A Boattail Speedster
The Auburn Boattail Speedster captures the essence of a bygone era, evoking a deep admiration for its beauty and sophistication. To say, "They just don't make them like they used to," would be a vast understatement here. The Auburn Boattail is not just North America's most visually dazzling motorcar of the pre-WWII era, it is an Art Deco masterpiece, and this particular offering is among the finest existing examples of the 1931 production year.
When E.L. Cord took the reins of the Auburn Automobile Company, he breathed new life into their quality-made, reliable motorcars. When the Boattail debuted in 1928, it was situated as the focal point of the showroom and display window. Placed to draw in a crowd, customers often left with a more affordable and practical Auburn, but it was the Boattail Speedster that got them in the door. Today, Auburn Boattails are some of the most coveted pre-WWII cars that the United States has ever produced. No one else on our shores was manufacturing anything like it at the time and the performance matched its looks. The 8-98A model, named for its Lycoming eight-cylinder engine and its 98 horsepower, was equipped with a dual-range overdrive rear axle in the "A" series. Performance that fit the elegant aesthetics, the Auburn Boattail Speedster was bound for greatness the day Al Leamy laid pen to paper.
A staple in the current owner's noted collection for the last ten years, this outstanding 1931 Auburn 8-98A Boattail Speedster exudes elegance from all angles and has had limited travel under its current tenure. He would acquire it from well-known Minnesota collector Kermit Weeks, who got it from a South Dakota Car Museum many years ago. Beautifully presented today, it was the recipient of a painstaking body-off-the-frame restoration carried out by Mark Clayton of Clayton Restoration Limited in Castle Rock, Colorado. An array of photos documenting the restoration accompany the car. During the restoration, this example was noted as being very solid and original. Completed in the earlier half of 2018, this Boattail Speedster was brought to the 2018 ACD Club Annual Reunion. Each year the Club chooses a car or theme, and this Reunion happened to be celebrating the year of the Speedster. Up against stiff competition, as it was reported over 40 Speedster examples showed, this masterpiece would win best Speedster, a true testament to its authentic and detailed restoration. The following year, this Speedster attended the 10,000 Lakes Concours d'Elegance and won Best in Show.
The boattail body is cloaked in a sleek, smooth, yet sinister black finish with flowing silver accents that harmonize for a truly captivating appearance. Further elevating its body are Depress Beam headlamps, dual cowl lights, dual side-mounted spare chrome wire wheels integrated in the front fenders, a golf club bag door, a finely crafted grille guard, a disappearing black soft top, and a raked V windshield. Trimmed in a deep black leather, the interior is enhanced by its signature engine-turned dash.
A body that ages just like a fine bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild red wine, "the longer you look, the better it gets," perfectly sums up the height of the Art Deco Era. This beautifully restored, award-winning 1931 Auburn 8-98A Boattail Speedster is fit for the most discerning collectors and the finest collections around the globe and will surely impress at many more concours in its future. There is no mistaking this 8-Boattail Speedster for anything but what it is: one of the most beautiful, sporting and exclusive automobiles of the Thirties.
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