We visited Jeff Stumb, executive director of the Stahls Motors & Music Experience in Chesterfield, Mich., as he prepared its 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car for the Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance. During his initial drive, he observed the vehicle’s advanced design, smooth handling, modern features, innovative instrumentation and even the concealed ashtray intended for rear passengers. Following the test drive, Jeff commented that the vehicle exhibited outstanding performance and evoked comparisons to the jet-powered cars depicted in the “Jetsons” television program from his youth. His experience made him one of only a few hundred civilians to have ever experienced driving a 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car.

With its striking design and innovative engineering, the Chrysler Turbine Car captivated automotive enthusiasts and the general public alike. Its unique engine sound and futuristic appearance made it a memorable icon of 1960s automotive experimentation, symbolizing both technological optimism and the challenges of bringing radical new concepts to market.

A turbine car for the masses

Chrysler Corp. produced its most famous turbine car from late 1962 to October 1964 as 1963 models. Bodied by Carrozzeria Ghia of Italy and final-assembled in Detroit, only 55 cars were built. Of those 55 Turbine cars, 5 were prototypes and 50 were built for public testing. Nearly all of them were finished in a paint color that Chrysler called Turbine Bronze that was complemented by a black vinyl top. At least one white example is known to have been produced and was one of two Turbine Cars to appear at the New York World’s Fair, where Chrysler gave rides to visitors. This white Turbine Car (or a different white Turbine Car altogether) also publicly appeared in the 1964 film “The Lively Set.” Otherwise, the cars were indistinguishable from one another and even used the same ignition key.

Elwood Engel, who is also credited with designing the 1961 Lincoln Continental and Ford Thunderbird while at Ford Motor Co., led the Turbine Car design process, with former Ford Motor Co. designer Charles Mashigan also receiving credit for his part designing the 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car. These men’s earlier work designing the 1961 Thunderbird is why the cars cut a similar profile and also share jet-inspired design influences. But whereas the Thunderbird relied on a missile shape, the Turbine Car used a turbine theme throughout.

The Turbine Car’s turbine theme was apparent throughout the exterior of the car, from the round, vaned headlamp bezels to the similarly vaned wheel cover centers and preposterously oversized, vaned housings for the small rear reflectors. Even inside, the full-length floor console that divided the individual front and rear leather-trimmed bucket seats was a giant silver shaft with vanes at the front and rear. The steering wheel hub design matched that of the headlamp bezels, and behind it was an instrument panel housing three large, round pods. It was nothing like anything else in a Chrysler product of the period.

As a top-line Chrysler product, each Chrysler Turbine Car touted such amenities as air-over-oil power drum brakes, power steering, TorqueFlite automatic transmission, radio and heater. The chassis was fitted with a conventional independent front suspension with coil springs and rear leaf springs. It is believed that it cost Chrysler Corp. as much as $55,000 (about $558,000 in 2025) to build each car, about $20,000 of which was just in the hand-built Ghia body.

A turbine future?

When Chrysler began researching turbine engines for aviation in the late 1930s, the program was led by executive engineer George Huebner. After World War II, Huebner and fellow engineers Bud Mann and Sam B. Williams started exploring turbine-powered cars. Turbine engines attracted interest due to their simpler design and fuel flexibility compared to piston-powered counterparts that ran only on gasoline or diesel fuel. By the mid 1950s, Chrysler was a leader in gas turbine car research, although General Motors and Rover also experimented with turbine cars.

After refining its turbine design with a regenerator to improve heat exchange, Chrysler installed a turbine engine in a mostly stock 1954 Plymouth Belvedere. On June 16, 1954, it unveiled the turbine-powered Belvedere at Chelsea Proving Grounds in Michigan before more than 500 reporters. However, engineers found that heating, cooling and emissions posed major engineering challenges for integrating a turbine engine into a car. The engines were also expensive to build and operate, so they weren’t feasible for everyday use by the masses. There was good news, though: Chrysler claimed this turbine had 20 percent fewer parts and weighed 200 pounds less than similar piston engines.

Chrysler continued its turbine research and introduced its next turbine car, this time a mostly stock 1956 Plymouth, on March 23, 1956. Huebner drove it 3,020 miles from New York City to Los Angeles, followed by a support team, with only two minor (non-engine) repairs needed. The successful trip prompted Chrysler to expand its turbine program and relocate operations to a bigger Detroit facility. 

A subsequent version of the Chrysler turbine engine (the second-generation model) was installed in a 1959 Plymouth and achieved an average fuel efficiency of 19.4 miles per gallon during a journey from Detroit to Woodbridge, N.J. This performance represented a notable improvement over the 13 mpg recorded by the first-generation turbine during the 1956 New York-to-Los Angeles trip. 

When Chrysler Corp. introduced its third-generation turbine engine, the CR2A, it became the company’s first officially named turbine engine. This engine worked to reduce the high cost of turbine engine production. During development in May 1960, Huebner noted that the turbine functioned as its own torque converter, produced 140 hp, had a 1.5-second acceleration lag (improved from 9 seconds previously) and weighed 150–450 lb less than similar piston engines.

Third-generation CR2A turbines were integrated into various vehicles, such as a 2-1/2-ton 1960 Dodge truck and the Chrysler Turboflite concept car. Refined CR2A turbines were also installed in a 1962 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Fury, and again Chrysler took its turbine cars to the road, driving the Dart from New York City to Los Angeles in December 1961. The Fury completed a much shorter journey from Los Angeles to San Francisco in January 1962. Upon arriving at Los Angeles with the Dart, Huebner dedicated two hours to providing journalists with test rides in the turbine-powered vehicle.

Chrysler showcased its fleet of turbine cars across North America, Europe and Mexico in February 1962, visiting 90 cities and giving rides to nearly 14,000 people, thus reaching millions more observers. The third-generation turbine program concluded at the Chicago Auto Show that same month, where Chrysler displayed its turbine-powered vehicles, including the turbine-powered Typhoon concept car, which loaned its front and rear styling to the 1963 Turbine Car (and nearly loaned its name). Just before the event, the company announced plans for a fourth-generation turbine engine to be installed in a limited run of 50-75 cars (the final total was 55), which would be loaned to the public free of charge starting in 1963. The company said the decision was driven largely by the enthusiastic response to the touring demonstrations.

Chrysler’s most famous turbine car

The 1963 Chrysler Turbine Cars were powered by the A-831, the name of Chrysler’s fourth-generation turbine engine. Unlike its predecessor, the CR2A, the A-831 featured twin regenerators, one on each side of the gasifier, instead of a single heat exchanger mounted on top. This reduced the engine’s weight by 40 lbs., bringing it down to just 410 lbs. Due to their design, these engines did not need antifreeze, a cooling system, radiator, connecting rods or crankshafts.

The A-831 could run on diesel fuel, unleaded gasoline, kerosene, JP-4 jet fuel and various unconventional fuels including furnace oil, perfume, peanut oil and soybean oil. However, leaded gasoline would damage it. Chrysler engineers even confirmed that Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos successfully operated one of these cars using tequila as fuel. A few Americans were also said to have poured their favorite alcohol — including Jack Daniels — in Turbine Cars’ fuel tanks to power them.

The engine generated 130 hp at 36,000 rpm and idled between 18,000 and 22,000 rpm. Many bystanders compared its sound to the whoosh of a vacuum cleaner. At stall, it was capable of producing 425 lb.-ft. of torque. While idling, its exhaust temperature did not exceed 180 degrees Fehrenheit. When operating at 120 mph, the turbine reached its maximum speed of 60,000 rpm. Accelerating from 0-60 mph took about 12 seconds. 

Turbine Cars hit driveways

From October 1963 to January 1966, a total of 203 people —180 men and 23 women, aged 21 to 70 — participated in Chrysler’s Turbine Car test program. They lived in 133 cities across the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., and 60 percent were already Chrysler owners. At least one Turbine Car also made an appearance in Europe. British journalist Robert Walling of the Evening Standard posed with a Turbine Car in the United Kingdom during October 1963 after that car appeared at the Salon de l’Automobile in Paris. Lucky members of the U.S. test group each had use of their Turbine Car for three months at no cost, but they were responsible for the cost of fuel. In the agreement with Chrysler Corp. to use the cars at no cost, testers would provide Chrysler with detailed feedback from their experience driving them. In total, the testers racked up more than 1 million miles of driving.

Initial issues included sluggish acceleration due partly to their heavy body construction and vibration from tire treads, noticeable due to the smooth turbine engine. Benefits were the smooth engine, the turbine’s reduced need for maintenance and generally easy starts in a variety of conditions. However, some people in higher altitudes experienced starting trouble. Other common complaints were poor fuel economy and a relatively loud noise level. When Chrysler investigated the noise complaint, however, it discovered about 60 percent of users liked the car’s jet-like turbine sound, while around 20 percent disliked it (the remaining 20 percent were indifferent).

Regardless of whether or not testers found they would buy a turbine-powered car if and when they became available, all found the experience memorable. Crowds would gather whenever one of the futuristic Turbine Bronze cars stopped — even when the cars were parked in the testers’ driveways! Although the testers didn’t get to keep the cars, many had one of the popular Turbine Bronze plastic scale promotional models as a keepsake.

The fate of Chrysler’s experiment

In April 1966, Harry E. Chesebrough, Vice President of Product Planning and Development, stated that the test cars would be retired regardless of whether the Chrysler Turbine Car entered production. Chrysler ended up destroying 46 cars after completing user testing and public displays; 45 were obliterated at a scrapyard south of Detroit, while another was demolished at its Chelsea Proving Grounds. Essentially, these test cars were concepts, and Chrysler likely destroyed most of them to eliminate the possibility of liability issues, as is the practice for experimental cars. As one Chrysler executive explained in Look magazine, “Our main objective is research, and we did not want turbines turning up on used-car lots.” Destroying the cars also helped protect Chrysler’s proprietary secrets.

Nine 1963 Chrysler Turbine Cars still exist, all of which are painted Turbine Bronze. Chrysler retained three cars (two of which it still owns), while the other six were sent to museums. Today, at least three of the Turbine Cars are known to be operational: the Turbine Car owned by Jay Leno; the restored example owned by the National Museum of Transportation; and the featured Turbine Car owned by the Stahls Motors & Music Experience.

Ted and Mary Stahl, founders of the Stahls Motors & Music Experience, acquired their Turbine Car in 2021. It previously belonged to the Harrah Collection, from which renowned collector Tom Monaghan purchased it. Equally distinguished collector Frank Kleptz owned the car after Monaghan sold it and kept it in his collection through his passing.

Today, the Stahls Motors & Music Experience regularly displays its Turbine Car at events and among its collection.

The Stahls Motors & Music Experience is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that exists to preserve, restore and exhibit classic automobiles of the 20th Century for educational purposes. The Experience, based in Chesterfield, Mich., features continually changing exhibits of historically significant vehicles from the Depression and Art Deco eras, along with mechanical music machines and automobile memorabilia. It also hosts many community events throughout the year while being open to the public, including an annual fundraising event honoring and benefiting U.S. military veterans.

Stahls Motors & Music Experience
Chesterfield, MI 
www.stahlsauto.com
586-749-1078

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Need proof that the ’60s were as swinging as people say they were? Then look no further than the 1966 Ford Mustang Shelby G.T.350-H. Driver license-carrying Americans could march into their local Hertz Rent A Car office and borrow a bona fide Shelby muscle car by day, and flog it by night. Hertz, of course, didn’t condone such behavior of its rental cars, advertising the G.T350-H Shelbys as cars to “add a dash of excitement to your next business trip.” Certainly some businessmen simply did just that, but likely a few of them — and others ­— had more nefarious intentions (and actions).

In order to borrow a Shelby Mustang G.T.350-H, drivers had to be at least 25 years old and members of the Hertz Sports Car Club, then fork over $17 per day and 17 cents per mile to race — er, drive ­— one of the 1,000 or so G.T.350-H cars rentable only from Hertz. Reportedly, Hertz completed very thorough inspections of each G.T.350-H upon its return, and those renters who noticeably thrashed their Shelbys were held responsible for paying for any damage.

The ‘Rent-a-Racer’ is born

The Shelby Mustang G.T.350-H was developed through a partnership between Shelby American and Hertz Rent A Car, which also had a long-standing relationship with Ford Motor Co., to offer the high-performance rental vehicles. Hertz had begun its Sports Car Club in 1958 to rent other high-profile cars from a few of its locations, for which it charged a premium, but by the mid 1960s, the program was faltering. Shelby’s offer to supply its Mustang-based G.T.350 seemed to be the answer to save the Sports Car Club program, and Hertz bit on the idea. The initial plan called for the Hertz G.T.350s to all be painted the company’s colors: black with gold stripes. As excitement for the cars gained momentum within Hertz, its order for G.T.350s grew from 100 cars to a final order of 1,000 cars (give or take a car). 

Each rental Shelby Mustang G.T.350-H featured a modified K-Code 289 HiPo V-8 engine rated at 306 hp at 6,000 rpm and with 329 lb.-ft. of torque, the same engine available in white-and-blue Shelby G.T.350 that could be outright purchased at Shelby-franchised Ford dealers. Some early G.T.350-H cars were built with a four-speed manual transmission, but most of the Hertz cars were built with the newly optional C-4 Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission. After service in the Hertz fleet, these vehicles were refurbished and sold to the public by Shelby franchises, with assistance from Ford Motor Co. itself.

Of the 1,000 built for 1966, approximately 750 G.T.350-H Shelbys had black exteriors with gold stripes; the remaining cars were painted in one of four other colors: Wimbledon White; Candy Apple Red; Ivy Green; or Sapphire Blue. The rocker panel decals of G.T.350-H cars incorporated an “H” suffix (for Hertz) at the end of the standard “G.T.350” name in this decal and were usually gold. Regardless of exterior color, all G.T.350-H cars had a black interior with the optional rear fold-down seat and radio. Additional Hertz-only features included unique chromed Magnum 500 wheels with likewise unique “Hertz Sports Car Club” wheel center medallions. Hertz waffled on having its rental cars carry LeMans stripes on the roof, deck lid and hood, and most G.T.350-H cars had the top stripes, although some did not. Under the paint and Hertz-specific striping, the G.T.350-H was a carbon copy of a standard 1966 Shelby Mustang, and as such, they featured the competition-type suspension of a regular Shelby, although some sources say later G.T.350-H Shelbys had alterations to this suspension to make the cars more roadable for renters.

Like other G.T.350 models, the Shelby G.T.350-H featured the distinctive profile of the Mustang 2+2 fastback while incorporating Shelby-specific Plexiglas rear side windows in place of louvered vent units, lending the model a unique character. A further exclusive G.T.350 feature was the addition of rear brake scoops, positioned at the leading edge of the quarter panel, just behind the door. These scoops were incorporated into the Mustang side cove and channeled air through 3-inch-diameter ducts into the wheel housing, thereby enhancing airflow over the rear brake drums for improved performance. 

Hertz expected regular passenger-car-level braking for all of its rental cars, and so many of the G.T.350-H cars were specially fitted with aftermarket master brake cylinders or power brake units that the company hoped would help the Shelby’s standard, race car-type hard metallic brake pads stop better in traffic, especially since the cars were often driven by drivers lacking racing experience. Several brake setups were tested by Ford and Shelby to make the Shelby’s standard competition brakes — which worked best when hot — work more predictably when cool, as one would need in city driving. Ultimately, the issue wasn’t completely solved, and as a result, G.T.350-H’s never stopped in the same manner as a standard Mustang upon which they were built. The concern over the brakes resulted in all Hertz-rented G.T.350 Shelbys receiving a black-and-gold decal on the instrument panel stating, “This vehicle is equipped with competition brakes. Heavier than normal brake pedal pressure may be required.”

On all G.T.350 Shelbys, the standard Mustang hood was replaced with one featuring a functional central air scoop to supply fresh air directly to the carburetor. For safety, competition-type locking studs and safety pins were installed on Shelby hoods to prevent accidental hood opening at high speeds. The front grille featured horizontal bars, with a small Mustang emblem on the driver’s side.

The “Rent-A-Racer,” as the G.T350-H soon became known, quickly rose to legend status, with stories circulating of customers returning their Hertz Shelbys sporting signs of track use — brake pads worn, tires balding, rubber shards on the rear fenders and the aroma of burnt rubber and clutch lingering in the interiors. Most of these stories are simply legends in and of themselves.

For many, the G.T.350-H became an attainable dream, a vehicle that bridged the gap between racing fantasy and reality by allowing enthusiasts to drive a Shelby without having to write a big check each month. The G.T.350-H made high-performance motoring available to nearly anyone, even if but only one day at a time. It was a bold marketing move for Hertz and Shelby, and certainly elevated each company in the public eye. For 1965, Shelby American had built just 562 G.T.350s, and another 1,377 were built for 1966. The purchase of another 1,000 G.T.350-H cars by Hertz added as many G.T.350s to the total, making the cars successful for Shelby American. Although the G.T.350-Hs reportedly needed more care by Hertz rental agencies than the Fairlane 500 sedans is normally rented, Hertz found the program successful enough that it ordered 230 new Shelby Mustangs for rental purposes during the 1968 model year. These cars didn’t get the unique features of the 1966 Shelby G.T.350-H, however, and even lacked the “H” suffix in their lower-body stripes.

As part of its 1966 contract with Shelby American, Hertz purchased the cars for $3,815 each and rented them for nine months. After that period, the cars were bought back by Shelby American for $2,589, minus any repair costs to make them saleable as used cars. The cars were returned by Hertz to their nearest Shelby franchise, which sold them as used cars, or sent them to auction where other dealers bought them to sell. 

A lucky survivor

The featured 1966 Shelby G.T.350-H (serial number SFM6S715) was among those painted Raven Black paint with gold stripes and fitted with a power brake booster. It served as a Hertz rental car based out of the Chicago district beginning in February 1966 and was delivered to Hertz via Jack Loftus Ford. After its nine months of service, it was transferred to Courtesy Motors in Littleton, Colo., where it was prepared for resale, and subsequently listed for public purchase.

SFM6S715 retains its original 289-cid V-8 K-code engine, C4 automatic transmission, rare factory steel hood (some G.T.350 hoods also incorporated fiberglass), override traction bars and Koni shocks, which are typical of early-1966 models.

Throughout its nearly 60-year history, this G.T.350-H has changed owners a handful of times. In 1998, it was purchased by David Dotts, who resided in Colorado, not far from Courtesy Ford. This Shelby has spent the majority of its life in Illinois, North Dakota, Colorado and Michigan and was well cared for by its private owners, who maintained it in show car condition. According to records, the engine and transmission were rebuilt in 2013, and everything else received a complete going over and rebuild at that time. 

The Stahls Motors & Music Experience in Chesterfield, Mich., added the 1966 Shelby G.T.350-H Mustang to its extensive automobile collection in 2024. Today, it’s displayed in a special Ford vs. Ferrari display that features a Kirkham Cobra Replica and a 1967 Shelby G.T.500. SFM6S715 exemplifies the innovative engineering and forward-thinking design led by Carroll Shelby and his team, seamlessly integrating street-oriented performance with track-derived capabilities. Distinguished by its well-preserved correctness and notable provenance, this specific G.T.350-H reflects an era when automobiles served as symbols of freedom, adventure and American character.

Stahls’ Automotive Foundation is a 501© (3) non-profit organization that exists to preserve, restore and exhibit vintage vehicles of the 20th century for educational purposes. Learn more at www.stahlsauto.com or call 586-749-1078.

Love Mustangs? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment…

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week-1970-ford-mustang-boss-429

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1981-mclaren-m81-mclarens-first-mustang

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1968-ford-mustang-high-country-special

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

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The post Car of the Week: 1966 Shelby Mustang G.T.350-H appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

The 1935 Auburn 851 and 1936 852 Speedsters were the third generation of a model that was intended to bring eyes and wallets to Auburn showrooms, where buyers would more likely purchase a sedan or coupe or perhaps even a Cabriolet. However, it was the Great Depression, and Speedster sales were all too rare of an occasion. Auburn dealers were often forced by the factory to take one of the impractical Speedsters beginning in 1928, when the body style bowed in the Auburn line. The Speedster was dropped for 1930, then returned in the freshly restyled 1931 Auburn line and remained available into 1934. Auburn gave the Speedster one last hurrah in 1935 and 1936, but in every generation, the relatively expensive and impractical open car was a tough sell, and dealers were rightfully skeptical of adding one of the racy two-seaters to their inventory.

The very definition of a halo car, the Speedster made the Indiana-based Auburn marque memorable even after it forever ceased building cars at the end of 1936. So memorable is the Auburn Speedster that it’s been replicated like a nesting doll in every scale, from a finger-size toy to full-size “replicar.” Many moons aligned in order to create the Auburn Speedster, and before those celestial bodies went into position, no one in the early 20th Century could possibly have predicted that in 40 years, a small Midwestern carriage maker would build the sportiest horseless conveyance yet to travel a road.

From carriages to sports cars

What became the Auburn Automobile Co. began as the Eckhart Carriage Co. of Auburn, Ind. The company built quality horse-drawn carriages beginning in 1875 and founder Charles Eckhart incorporated 10 years later. Eckhart taught his sons the family carriage trade, and in 1900 — a period before it was clear the automobile would usurp the horse and buggy — Eckhart’s son, Frank, who was running the carriage company with his brother, Morris, bought himself a curved-dash Oldsmobile. Frank Eckhart soon went shopping for a more refined automobile and turned to Winton, a company known for creating high-quality horseless carriages. Like James Ward Packard, who encountered so many problems with his Winton that he took Alexander Winton’s advice and built his own car, Eckhart built a car of his own after failing to make a deal on a Winton. 

Legend has it that upon arriving in Chicago for the express purpose of purchasing a Winton, Eckhart found the advertised price had inched upward and the equipment on it had inched downward. Eckhart returned to his hotel to contemplate the purchase, and there he met one of his suppliers to the Eckhart Carriage Co. to whom he explained his dilemma. It didn’t take long for the men to realize that Eckhart didn’t need Winton to build a car for him — his family business had enough connections to build a car of its own. Within a couple years, Frank and Morris Eckhart went from building cars for themselves to building cars for the public. Their first public offering was displayed at the 1903 Chicago Auto Show.

By the early 1920s, Auburn sales were bouncing around in the 2,500- to 6,000-car range per year. The Eckharts were now out of the picture, having sold out in 1919 to a group of Chicago bankers. As the Roaring Twenties danced on, Auburn as a car company began to flounder. The bankers found a savior in phenomenally successful car salesman and distributor Errett Lobban Cord. In 1924, Cord presented an idea for a flashier Auburn that would save the Auburn Automobile Co. The company had approximately 700 unsold cars in its inventory and parts to make many more, but not enough dealers and buyers interested in taking them. As part of his employment agreement, Cord would receive a salary as well as stocks that he would use to buy the company from the bankers. 

Once behind the desk, Cord found a way to move the dated-looking Auburns in order to make room for the flashy car he had pitched to the bankers as being the savior to Auburn.

Already by 1925, the Auburns built under Cord’s influence began to appear and sales were strong enough to give Cord a controlling interest in the Auburn Automobile Co. And Cord wasn’t done adding flash to the Auburn line, further boosting it with horsepower to back the look.

In early 1928, Auburn launched the 115 series, which derived horsepower from an eight-cylinder engine. This engine was built by Lycoming, which Cord purchased in September 1927. Very few cars matched the 115-hp rating of the new 1928 Auburn 115 series, and to help promote its new performance prowess, Auburn launched a new Speedster body type in the 115 series and its existing 8-88 line. The Speedster was a halo model for Auburn, meant to draw attention to the sedans and coupes and other convertible models it sold. To maximize the promotional power of this new marketing tool, Auburn entered the Speedster in speed competitions and advertised its prowess and beauty in newspapers and magazines.

The Speedster continued into 1929, but was pulled from the Auburn line when the 1930 model year commenced. The Speedster had always been a low-volume seller, with most dealers having been forced by the company to accept them. Amid the uncertainty of the Wall Street stock market crash of October 1929, Auburn dealers were likely relieved they didn’t have to try to move the whimsical Speedster. However, when Auburns were restyled by Alan Leamy for 1931, the Speedster returned fashionably late at midyear, wearing the fresh styling bedazzling Auburns across the board, Great Depression be damned. 

Despite the financial woes affecting industry throughout the United States and abroad, Auburn had been profitable, making $3.5 million in 1931. The company revived the flashy Auburn Speedster for 1932, which saw a financial turn of the tide at Auburn. Along with the rest of the Auburn lineup, Speedster sales slowed throughout the year and through 1933. Although Auburns were completely restyled by Auburn designer Alan Leamy for 1934 with bigger bodies and heavier fenders, there were still Speedsters left over to sell into 1934; there were also dozens of leftover Speedster bodies that never made their way onto a chassis.

Harold Ames, executive vice president of Auburn, was not a fan of any body style wearing the new 1934 Auburn design. He insisted on a complete styling overhaul of the entire Auburn line for 1935 that essentially amounted to sleeker fenders, a less Art Deco hood and a different radiator grille shell. Along with the restyled 1935 Auburn 851 line came the return of the Auburn Speedster to help promote the new look. Gordon Buehrig was charged with changing the faces of all Auburns for 1935, including penning a new Speedster body type. Perhaps Buehrig’s most challenging task in designing the new Speedster was that it had to be based upon the 1931-1934 Speedster body so that Auburn could use up its stock. He essentially reused the Speedster cockpit and designed a new rear tail. Modifications to the cowl allowed the new 1935 Auburn hood and grille to match up to the existing cockpit, including the earlier doors. With his clever changes, most had no clue that the 1935 Auburn Speedster bodies were based upon the previous generation of Speedster body. When Auburn used up the original stock of its second generation (1931-1934) of Speedster bodies, entirely new Speedster bodies were built for the remainder of 1935 and for the 1936 Auburn 852 Speedster, and only an expert could tell the difference between the modified and the all-new bodies.

Overall, Buehrig’s design for the 1935 and ’36 Speedster was more unique from other Auburn body types than it had been in the previous two generations. In addition to the tapered design of the tail, the Speedster featured its own individual fenders, which were not connected by a running board. Each fender tapered at the rear in a teardrop shape that echoed the Speedster’s tail profile. This also resulted in unique rocker panels. The Speedster windshield was again of a roadster design and steeply raked backward with a V shape. To top off this winning package, Auburn made its optional supercharger on the straight-eight a standard Speedster feature, which also meant each Speedster sported chromed pipes on the driver’s side of the hood.

The 1935 and ’36 Auburn Speedster was the complete package and the type of car that stopped the hearts of men and women at just a glance, whether that glance was caught as the car roared by or through a dealer’s showroom. However, the Speedster couldn’t save Auburn and the company ceased building new Auburns at the end of 1936. Although Auburn may have gone out of business, it went out with style. 

A Speedster’s path

The Auburn Speedster has become the quintessential prewar sports car, especially the last generation (1935 to 1936). Its image has been printed on T-shirts, drinking glasses and nearly everything else, and it’s been modeled in every common scale and many in between. The Speedster is one of those cars that’s long been appreciated, often transcending “used car” status. In 1952, the featured 1936 Speedster was advertised for sale in a display ad within the November 1952 issue of Motor Trend. The Vallejo, Calif., seller advertised the 16-year-old Speedster already as a “classic” that was “in showroom condition.”

According to the records of Auburn Cord Duesenberg historian Randy Ema, current owner of Duesenberg, this Speedster was in Manhattan Beach, Calif., in 1956 where it was found and purchased for $900 by Gordon Craft of Riverside, Calif. A newspaper article clipped many years ago featured Craft with the Speedster and reported it as being an “ancient, worn damsel in distress,” although in the accompanying photograph, it appears to remain a rather sharp classic. The occasion of the newspaper article was the reunion of the car with its designer, Gordon Buehrig, as well as with Don Butler, the distribution manager of the Auburn Automobile Co. in Auburn. 

Ema’s records show the next owner of  the Speedster was Jim Busby of Laguna Beach, Calif., in 1974-’75, followed by Mrs. Nick Williams, also of Laguna Beach. By the late 1990s, the Speedster was in excellent condition and wearing its current period-correct green paint while in the esteemed Blackhawk Collection. From there, it was sold by Don Williams to an owner in Switzerland, who offered it at the August 2007 Christie’s sale at Monterey, Calif., where current owners Ted and Mary Stahl of the Stahls Motors & Music Experience purchased it.  

As with many people, the Speedster carved the Auburn name into the Stahls’ psyche, and when they finally bought an Auburn, it wasn’t the racy Speedster body type but a Phaeton convertible sedan. Although they had a bad experience with that 1935 Phaeton while participating in the Great Race, their affection for the brand didn’t waiver.

“Unfortunately, it had poured rings and we were doing about 70 — it was running beautifully — and all of a sudden a rod let loose,” Ted Stahl said. “That was the end of that. 

“We had that redone… and it’s one of our favorite cars.”

With such an affection toward the Auburn Phaeton, it only made sense to eventually add the sportiest and most recognizable version of an Auburn to their collection.

“They’re beautiful cars, just true sports cars with the lines, the curves, the fenders, the slope in the back,” Stahl says. “Even the grille in the front, everything in the front just says beauty and speed.”

Today, the Stahls’ Speedster can often be seen under the lights of their Stahls Motors & Music Experience collection in Chesterfield, Mich. It will also be displayed under the sun at this year’s Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club Reunion over Labor Day weekend in Auburn, Ind.

Stahls Motors & Music Experience
Chesterfield, MI 
www.stahlsauto.com
586-749-1078

The Stahls’ Automotive Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that exists to preserve, restore and exhibit classic automobiles of the 20th Century for education purposes. The Experience, based in Chesterfield, Mich., features continually changing exhibits for historically significant vehicles from the Depression and Art Deco eras, along with mechanical music machines and automobile memorabilia. It also hosts many community events throughout the year while being open to the public, including an annual fundraising event honoring and benefiting U.S. military veterans.

Do the classics out of Auburn pique your curiosity? Her are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1932-auburn-b-100a-brougham

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1935-j-powered-auburn-speedster

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/news/10-lost-duesenbergs

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