Auburn

Born out of the Eckhart Carriage Company, the Auburn Automobile Company was established in 1900 by Frank and Morris Eckhart. The brothers experimented with building car models before entering the business with the 1904 Auburn, a thousand dollar touring car model sporting a tonneau that could seat four passengers. The company was fairly successful throughout the subsequent decade, but shortages during World War I led to the eventual shut down of the plant.

The company was sold to Chicago investors in 1919 and they revived to brand, bringing in the necessary expertise to reinvigorate the manufacturer. However, this new energy wouldn’t last for long since the Auburn models, due to their styling and engineering, were simply too expensive for the Depression market. This led to the brand’s eventual demise, when in 1937 the production of Auburn vehicles, along with the company’s other models was halted forever.

Regardless of the make’s relatively short thirty year lifespan, the Auburn line left behind an array of slick, elegant convertibles that embody the iconic aesthetic of early automobile design. The Auburn ornament, a beautifully simple art deco flying lady facing the incoming wind, adorns the remaining models of the signature brand to this day as a signifier of a time gone by.