Go-Fast Goodies from the 1932 Auburn

1933 Auburn advertisement, courtesy of OldCarAdvertising.com

Certain parts have entered the collective consciousness as quintessential automotive hardware above and beyond their status as original equipment: The Stromberg 97 carburetor, for example.

This particular ad features three more pieces of iconic automotive equipment. Most obvious is the Columbia two-speed rear axle, which would later become a widely known, factory authorized accessory for Fords and Lincolns. The Columbia was advertised by Auburn elsewhere as making their Lycoming straight eight as potent as a V-12. Presumably, then, a V-12 so equipped was capable of out performing Cadillac’s V-16, although the ads never explicitly said so.

Less obvious are two other hoary names in vehicular furnishings. That gloved hand is gripping the Columbia control lever on the distinctive instrument cluster used in the 1931-’33 Auburn which proved so popular as a junkyard accessory for other cars that it spawned reproductions as early as the 1950s. The bright face of the 1931 version is most popularly seen today.

Inside the Auburn panel are curved-glass gauges produced by industry giant Stewart-Warner. It has been said that it was performance-oriented cars like the Auburn, along with the full instrumentation of WWII military aircraft, that spawned the post-war enthusiasm for analog readouts across the dashboards of American cars. Curved-glass Stewart-Warner gauges, whether from an Auburn or the company’s nautical offerings, fetch big dollars today.

What makes an old part so sought after? Rarity? Function? Beautiful design? Let’s hear your favorite piece.

See original article at" https://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2016/07/27/go-fast-goodies-from-the-1932-auburn/