By Jeff Bruss

Billed as a comfortable race car back in the 1930s, the Auburn 852 Boattail Speedster utilized a flathead 4.6-liter supercharged straight eight that was good for 150 horsepower. Auburn claimed the car could travel 100 miles per hour for 12 straight hours – with no mention of pit stops. The onset of the great depression would make 1936 the final year of the "Boattail" Speedster.

The 1936 Auburn "Boattail" Speedster is a relatively common reproduction. Degrees to which the replicas are created vary widely, as do pre-owned prices. Nicely done examples can fetch in excess of six figures, whereas disproportional, dryer vent exhaust models don't even fetch $30,000. This example in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, takes the middle ground and is priced accordingly at $48,500.

Built on a Lincoln chassis with an unidentified body manufacturer, this Boattail presents very well. Powered by a 460-cubic-inch Ford with an automatic transmission, I'd imagine it's got to be both powerful and pleasurable to sit behind the very cool art-deco style chrome steering wheel. The interior is finished in black leather with red piping, but could use a few minor upgrades. The gauges are set in a unique burnished metal dash, but fail to reflect any real authenticity. A simple gauge swap with some VDO Cockpit Royales or the like would give the dash a more period-correct feel. Covering up the modern stereo receiver would also elevate the interior.

The seller states the car is titled as a 1978 Auburn, and I'd wager that the donor Lincoln was perhaps of the same vintage. The gas and brake pedals peaking out of the foot well appear to be of that period. Despite most likely being an older replica, this Auburn 852 Speedster presents well in photos. Auction results and asking prices for similar cars have been hovering in the $60,000 to $80,000 range. With a few tweaks and a nice detailing, I think this 852 could reasonably fetch closer to those numbers as well.