“Garage kept for at least 60 years,” and “18K original miles” highlight the listing for this 1932 Auburn 8-100 Coupe here on Cleveland, Ohio craigslist. Offered at $33,900, this Depression-era coupe appears to have received at least a partial restoration or benefited from unbelievable care. Few of today’s cars fitting the description “Business Man’s Coupe” would sell for that price, and none of them would be worth what you paid a day later as this one might. Thanks to reader Healeydays for spotting this tidy two-door.
The seller claims this paint is original, with “no dents just needs some cleaning – no rust or damage,” which seems improbable, but perhaps an Auburn or ’30s automobile expert could comment on that possibility below. While Auburn’s Boat-Tailed Speedster steals most of the glory from this time-period, any Auburn brought high style at a time when many citizens struggled to put food on the table.
The interior appears original, unmolested, and intact. The seller describes the seats as having no damage. While a rumble seat was available, this one appears to have a more conventional trunk, perfect for the stylish husband and wife on the go, or a snappy golf twosome.
Auburn clearly exhibited pride in their inline eight-cylinder engine and its 100 horsepower as these specifications formed the basis of the car’s “8-100” name (thanks to autolit.com for some details). The motor is free-turning and the seller promises it “will be sold in running condition.” Sure, the Lexus LC (Luxury Coupe) delivers more horsepower and handling, but it retails for over $90,000 and looks like a pimped-out Nissan 370Z. Long after the LC has become just another used car, this Auburn will still turn heads at every arrival. Isn’t that worth $33,900?
Gorgeous. I thought it was an L-29 Cord at first. Cord’s little sister (??) Well worth the price, and good to hear a seller say it will be sold running. Not many Barn Finds moving with that claim! Good luck to the next owner.
I can understand only 18,000 miles. After watching American Pickers, these cars always had a problem with overheating. This is allegedly caused by the radiator being placed over the differential and transmission (? the latter I am not sure of).
This car has a conventional rearend as seen in the photo, you maybe are getting this mixed up with a Cord that was in fact front wheel drive in the late 20’s thru 1937 when the factory closed up for good with the radiator over part of the front transaxle. I saw this same car on another classic car website asking 41k.
The Pickers were totally inaccurate, and they don’t know what they are talking about in this instance. The radiator and transmission in this car–and the Auburn they were referring to in the inaccurate episode–are in traditional locations. What they MAY have been thinking of is the 810/812 Cord, which did have overheating problems. However, I never heard of a claim that the 810/812 Cord’s overheating resulted from the radiator being located over the transmission. –Tom, Owner, 812 Cord S/N 1709 A
Beautiful car,but that horrible color does nothing for it
Come on $33900.00 and you use galvanized pipe on the heater water system!
This thing is posted on CL all over the US. Maybe beyond. Cool car. I don’t know about that being the original paint. Was that kind of bright metallic green available when this was new?
Regardless, I love this car. Absolutely love it. I wish I could make a viable offer for it, but I’m not in a position to do so right now. That doesn’t stop me from going back to the CL ad and dreaming…
– John
If that paint is a metallic, then the car was repainted in the 1950s. My parents’ ’54 Country Squire had a very similar metallic green hue.
Interesting car that deserves to be given a good home.
Now we’re talking. Far more interesting than seeing the millionth Grand National with less than 100 miles.
There were metallic paints in the 30’s, Chevrolet offered one color each year in the late 30’s, my aunt had a ’36 Chevy Master Deluxe with metallic brown/gold, saw a ’38 or ’39 Chevy at a cars and coffee with a metallic green/blue.
There were no metallic paints available on cars back in 1932. The first car to have a metallic paint was the 1933 Packard 12 “Car of the Dome” for the Chicago World’s Fair.
It’s well documented that the metallic was unintentional, as the painter used a different type of steel balls to keep the paint stirred up in the paint gun reservoir. Most painters used a single large ball rolling around inside, but this person used many dozens of tiny balls in an effort to do a better job. They were not solid steel, and not intended for use in a solvent-based situation.
Problem was, as the steel balls hit one another they quickly flaked apart, resulting in a paint that was contaminated with tiny metallic flakes. Because the car had taken so long to build [the body was built by the famed company of Deitrich], there was no time to strip it back down and repaint the entire car.
When the car was out in the sunlight, it “Dazzled”, and the decision was made to leave it just as it was. Packard changed the information on the car to show off the special paint, and said “The exterior finish is called Sun Glow Pearl, a new finish which is gold, or brown, or pearl, depending on how the light strikes it.” When the spotlights in the show reflected off the metallic in the paint, it was said to be spectacular.
This car was in the Otis Chandler collection in LA for many years, and the above info comes directly from the collection’s manager when I visited there about 30 years ago.
Google ‘1933 Packard car of the dome’ to see this beautiful vehicle.
looks like a 6 cylinder engine to me?
Nope, it’s an eight, the 2 engines are significantly different along the side of the block, in addition to the number of plugs. I think you probably don’t realize there are spark plugs not visible in the photo [look closely at the number of plug wires and you’ll see where the plugs are located].
If you look at the Craigslist ad in the pictures of the front end that paint looks like a regular non metallic medium green color. I thought the same thing that it had been repainted in green metallic sometime in its life from the side picture but the ad shows different to me.
I am working on a 1932 Auburn that looks alot like this. A little more fancy. Has two spare tires and a trunk on the back by rumble seat. I got it started again and drove it around a bit. Boy it was fun. Working on brakes and wheel bearinngs. I found a cut leather seal in the back. Who knows what else i will find.