1935 Auburn Supercharged Phaeton Spectacular Award Winning Restoration

The Auburn Automobile Company grew out of the Eckhart Carriage Company, founded in Auburn, Indiana, in 1875 by Charles Eckhart (1841–1915). Eckhart's sons, Frank and Morris, began making automobiles on an experimental basis before entering the business in earnest, absorbing two other local carmakers and moving into a larger plant in 1909. The enterprise was modestly successful until materials shortages during World War I forced the plant to close. In 1919, the Eckhart brothers sold out to a group of Chicago investors headed by Ralph Austin Bard, who later served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and as Under Secretary of the Navy for President Roosevelt and for President Harry S. Truman. The new owners revived the business but failed to realize the profits that they hoped for.

In 1924, they approached Errett Lobban Cord (1894–1974), a highly successful automobile salesman, with an offer to run the company. Cord countered with an offer to take over completely in what amounted to a leveraged buyout. The Chicago group accepted. Cord aggressively marketed the company's unsold inventory and completed his buyout before the end of 1925. In 1926, he partnered with Duesenberg Corporation, famous for its racing cars, and used it as the launching platform for a line of high-priced luxury vehicles. He also put his own name on a front-wheel-drive car, the Cord, later referred to as "L-29".. Employing imaginative designers such as Alan Leamy and Gordon Buehrig, Cord built cars that became famous for their advanced engineering as well as their striking appearance, such as the 1928 Auburn Boattail Speedster, the Model J Duesenbergs, the 1935–1936 Auburn Speedsters and the 810/812 Cords.

Of course the real special thing here is the supercharged motor with the sporting outside exhaust- think about it- only the most exciting cars from the classic era had outside exhausts- the Mercedes-the Bentley-and of course the Duesenberg. The 35-6 Supercharged Auburns are definitely the "Baby Duesenberg".

This car was purchased by the seller in 2012 as a partially restored car and sent to Steve Babinsky's Automotive Restorations-one of the leading shops in the country, where the restoration was completed. The car was then shown competitively over the next couple of years garnering a CCCA Senior badge, First Junior, Senior, and Grand National First in AACA judging, and an ACD First Place Award as well. Since then the car has participated in 2 CCCA CARavans without issue and has been subsequently maintained by Automotive Restorations as well. The car is simply stunning with no flaws noted anywhere, this car presents very much as a freshly restored car. It is quite ready to go further up the CCCA judging ladder, and will be a star on top Concours Circuit. The car runs absolutely perfectly, it runs cool, accelerates well, shifts and stops as it should, and goes down the road straight and true.
With few made new and only 20 listed in the ACD Directory, The Supercharged Phaeton is a rare and exciting tour car that really has few peers. Featuring 150 HP, light steering, a fully synchronized and rather sweet gearbox, and a dual ratio rear end, these cars will travel comfortably at highway speeds all day long. The Gordon Buehrig designed 35-6 Auburn is one of the most beautiful cars of the Classic Era, a car that made history, a car that rewards the driver in so many ways, a car you can and drive and enjoy.

This is without a doubt one of the finest SC Phaetons in existence.