Errett Lobban Cord signed on as struggling Auburn’s general manager in 1923.

Cord had all unsold cars repainted in attractive bright colors and cleared out the inventory in short order.

He also bought some eight-cylinder engines from Lycoming Manufacturing Company, and for 1925 introduced the Auburn 8-63 and 8-88 with prices starting at $1,895, quite a bargain for an eight-cylinder car.

A boattail Speedster version introduced in 1928 was a big hit.

Sales doubled, to over 23,000, for 1929.

Moreover, the Speedster’s performance rivaled the $5,000 Stutz, and yet the Auburn cost just $2,195.

It was this enormous value that kept Auburn riding the crest of the wave as the onset of the Great Depression overcame most automakers.

Although Auburn sales ebbed in 1930, they more than doubled for 1931 and profits again reached 1929s record levels.

The 1931 Auburn line was redesigned by Alan Leamy, a young designer Cord had hired away from Marmon in 1928.

Leamy’s first job was the Cord L-29...