1935 Auburn 851 Phaeton – Bridesmaid Revisited

Beverly Rae Kimes has been called the “First Lady of Automotive History” for good reason. She has written histories of many of the great cars of the 20^th century. Her article titled “Auburn – From Runabout to Speedster,” published in Automobile Quarterly Volume V, Number 4, provides an interesting opinion about Auburn automobiles:

“The Auburn was always a bridesmaid. It was a family problem. Destined to be forever driven in the shadow of Duesenberg and Cord, the Auburn has never really come into its own. . . . It’s a pity, actually – for the bridesmaid was a lovely thing. Extremely good-looking, commendably fast, totally reliable – admirable qualities all. And what’s more, for the money, a prospective buyer couldn’t have asked for more than an Auburn. It simply wouldn’t have been available.”