Auburn models

Auburn was an American car maker from Auburn, Indiana. It grew out of the Eckhart Carriage Company, which Charles Eckhart had founded in the town in 1874, and around 1903 his sons Frank and Morris Eckhart began building automobiles. In 1919 the brothers sold control to Chicago investors led by Ralph Austin Bard.

The turning point came in 1924, when the company hired Errett Lobban Cord to run it; by the end of 1925 he had taken control through a leveraged buyout. Cord made Auburn the core of a group that also included Duesenberg, acquired in 1926, and the front-wheel-drive Cord cars. The best-known Auburn is the Auburn Speedster, including the 1935 851 and the supercharged boattail version that could top 100 mph. Auburn production ceased in 1937, Errett Lobban Cord sold his holdings in August that year, and the Auburn and Cord marques were discontinued. See also classic cars.