Rescued From a Shed; The Only Known V8 Auburn Salon Brougham In Existence
This 1933 Auburn Salon Brougham is a one-of-a-kind original. That’s no exaggeration: It’s the only known 8-cylinder Salon Brougham still in existence.
The automobile has been certified by the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club as a Category 1, meaning that the engine, chassis, and body were together when it was produced. Only 129 Salon models were produced in 1933, the sole year they were manufactured.
That year, the Auburn Automobile Company unveiled a new, top-of-the-line Salon series in a bid to increase sales. The Salon was available in either an 8- or 12-cylinder engine. Features of that model included more chrome, fancier bumpers, upgraded interiors, a hidden radiator fill spout, and a V-shaped windshield. Purchased new, the vehicle cost $1,195.
An Annual Event
This particular Salon Brougham spent 26 years of its existence – 1950 to 1976 – in a shed. The vehicle belonged to young Glenn Huffman’s grandfather. Once a year beginning in 1960, when Huffman was 12 years old, Huffman would start the car, drive it around the block of his family’s property, and then return the Salon to storage. This yearly excursion continued for around 10 years.
Changing Hands
Mrs. Holley (Ruby) Meadows bought the car factory-direct in Auburn, Indiana, in 1933 and drove it home to Eskdale, West Virginia. After her death in 1936, the Salon’s ownership went to her brother-in-law, who sold it to A.D. Pope in Cabin Creek, West Virginia, in 1936 or ’37. Pope drove the automobile until 1950 when he bought a new vehicle and placed the Auburn in storage. There it remained for the next 26 years until it was sold to Leo Feller of Tiffen, Ohio.
For the next 11 years, Feller acquired the right missing pieces so the Salon could be properly restored. He died in July 1987 and was never able to restore the car. George and Marilyn Smith of Elkhart heard about the vehicle and purchased it in October 1987. George spent the next five years restoring the Salon Brougham to its former glory.
Exterior Details
1933 Auburn Salon Brougham specs:
- 268.6 cubic inch, straight-eight engine
- 105 hp
- 126-inch wheelbase
- Wooden spoke wheels (six)
- Divided front seat
- Dual chrome horns (front)
- Only known V-8 Salon Brougham still in existence
Interior Details
