1935 AUBURN 851
150 bhp, 279.9 cu. in. eight-cylinder inline side-valve engine, three-speed manual gearbox, solid front axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, two-speed live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 127"
The 1935 Auburn styling was the work of Gordon Buehrig, who had designed the immortal Model J Duesenberg. Making the 1934 theme more upright yet more graceful, Buehrig also lowered the speedster’s tail, making it smoother and more aerodynamic. With the V-12 gone, a more powerful eight was called for, so Auburn turned to August Duesenberg to adapt the Model J’s centrifugal concept to the side-valve engine. With 6.5 to 1 compression, the supercharged Model 851 developed 150 bhp at 4,000 rpm. On the Bonneville salt flats, company driver Abner “Ab” Jenkins, a former Indy 500 driver of note, set 70 new unlimited and American speed records for stock cars. Each new speedster was delivered with a dashboard plaque certifying that the car had been driven by Jenkins to more than 100 mph.
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