A 1935 Auburn 851 Supercharged Speedster, reportedly the first example produced, is being offered at RM Sotheby’s Hershey auction with an estimated selling price of $850,000 to $950,000.

Designed by Gordon Buehrig, the Auburn combines a tall grille, pontoon-style fenders, exposed chrome exhaust pipes, a steeply angled windshield, and a pronounced boattail rear section. The result is an unusually dramatic design that reflects the styling ambitions of Auburn during the 1930s.

Supercharged straight-eight power

Power comes from a supercharged 4.6-liter Lycoming straight-eight engine rated at 150 horsepower. A three-speed manual transmission sends power to the rear wheels, while a Columbia dual-ratio rear axle provides high and low ratios for each gear.

The dashboard carries one of the car’s more unusual details: a plaque engraved with racer Ab Jenkins’ signature. It states that the Auburn had “been driven 100.1 miles per hour before shipment.” That claim is treated cautiously in the auction description, which calls the individual testing story “fanciful.”

Jenkins did exceed 100 mph at Bonneville in a stock Auburn Speedster, but that achievement does not establish that every customer car received a personal high-speed test. The plaque nevertheless remains part of the car’s period presentation.

Early-production details

This Speedster carries body number U47-200 and supercharger number 1001. Its early-production specification includes more enclosed front fenders and exhaust pipes that exit through the hood louvers.

The car’s documented history reaches back to the early 1950s, when it was reportedly purchased after an accident for $200. A replacement frame was fitted during an amateur restoration. RM Auto Restoration subsequently completed a comprehensive restoration in 1994.

Additional work on the car’s mechanical components and cosmetics cost more than $15,000 between 2025 and 2026. It is now being presented at the Hershey auction as a highly significant example of Auburn’s 851 Speedster, with its reported first-production status and unusual early details contributing to its valuation.