Makes › Auburn › 851/852 Boattail Speedster · Rare production · 1935–1936 Extremely Rare
Auburn
851/852 Boattail Speedster
Supercharged Gordon Buehrig-designed speedster, guaranteed 100 mph
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 150 Built
- Years
- 1935–1936
- Engine
- Lycoming L-head inline eight · 4,590 cc / 4.6 LFactory: 280 cu in · converted
- Power
- 112 kW / 152 PSFactory: 150 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Gordon Buehrig
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The 1935-36 Auburn 851/852 Speedster was the last of the Auburn boattail speedsters and is credited to Gordon Buehrig. The supercharged straight-eight gave 150 hp, and every car carried a dash plaque certifying a 100.8 mph run.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionLast-generation (851/852) Speedsters, approximate ("a believed total of about 150") | 1501 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The speedster body style first appeared for 1928, inspired by a Duesenberg show car, and was offered in variations until Auburn production ended in October 1936. The 1935-36 cars were styled by Gordon Buehrig, with a straight hood line, vee windshield, pontoon fenders and a tapered rear that gave the "Boattail" nickname. The supercharged cars used a Columbia dual-ratio rear axle. Auburn factory records show a single un-supercharged Custom speedster was also built.
Sources give differing totals: about 150 authentic original speedsters (RM Sotheby's), 143 (Gooding) and 180 (SCM).
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 851/852 Boattail Speedster.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Lycoming L-head inline eight2 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 4,590 cc / 4.6 LFactory: 280 cu in · converted2 Independently researchedAnother Gooding lot gives 279 CID. |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Single Stromberg downdraft carburettor2 Independently researched |
| Induction | Schwitzer-Cummins centrifugal supercharger2 Independently researched |
| Power | 112 kW / 152 PSFactory: 150 hp · converted3 Independently researched |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | 3-speed manual with Columbia 2-speed rear axle2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Beam axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs2 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs2 Independently researched |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
A genuine supercharged speedster is identified by the chrome side exhaust that marks the Schwitzer-Cummins supercharger, the Columbia two-speed rear axle with a steering-wheel switch, the dash plaque signed by Ab Jenkins and a numbered chassis on the right frame rail with the engine number on the left side of the block. The ACD Club certifies cars; Gooding notes about 40 of the 1935 speedsters were known to the club. Some cars were later re-identified as 1936 852s.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
RM Sotheby's Arizona 2013 – 1935 Auburn 851 Supercharged Speedster Level B
- 150 Last-generation (851/852) Speedsters, approximate ("a believed total of about 150")
-
2
1935 Auburn 851 SC Boattail Speedster Level C Gooding & Company · 2017
- 280 CID Lycoming L-Head Inline 8-Cylinder Engine
- Single Stromberg Downdraft Carburetor
- Schwitzer-Cummins Centrifugal Supercharger
- 3-Speed Manual Gearbox with Columbia 2-Speed Rear End
- Front Beam Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
- Live Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
-
3
1935 Auburn 851 Supercharged Speedster (Miami 2025) Level C RM Sotheby's
- boosted the horsepower... to 150 from a normally aspirated reading of 115
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