In Season 2, Episode 3 of The Journey, Jack Boyd Smith Jr. and Travis LaVine team up for a fascinating deep dive into the history and background of a 1934 Auburn Salon Cabriolet originally owned by actor James Cagney.
Absolutely, one of a kind
The Journey, the popular classic car documentary series from The JBS Collection, continues with Season 2, Episode 3—released on Feb 24, 2026—featuring an award-winning 1934 Auburn 1250 Salon Cabriolet that was originally owned by celebrated Hollywood actor, James Cagney. In the episode—produced by The JBS Collection in association with LaVine Restorations, Inc., and Eyedart Creative Studio—owner Jack Boyd Smith Jr. and automotive expert Travis LaVine deep dive into a fascinating examination of the V12 Auburn’s rare history and background.
During the multi-cylinder wars of the early 1930s—which made it challenging for companies to keep up with the changes, as V12 and V16 engines were becoming more common among luxury brands—Auburn was in search of its own way to stimulate demand. The company responded by adopting Lycoming’s monstrous V12 engine, featuring a 45-degree Vee configuration and twin Stromberg downdraft carburetors. The engine weighed over 1,000 pounds, but its 160 horsepower matched that of the larger Packard, Pierce-Arrow, and Franklin V12s, and handily bested the 135-hp and 125-hp Cadillac and Lincoln V12s.
A glorious Hollywood past
This Auburn 1250 Salon Cabriolet, featured and driven by Cagney in the 1933 film, “The Mayor of Hell,” is one of only four 1934 Auburn 1250 Salon Cabriolets made in its production year, and the only one of the four featuring a rear-mounted spare instead of side-mounted. Meaning that, in addition to its glorious Hollywood past, this Auburn is an absolute automotive one of a kind.
“As a collector, I’m always on the lookout for automobiles that have that something extra,” said Smith Jr., whose collection is ranked No. 82 worldwide by The Classic Car Trust’s publication, The Key. “Not only is this Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg-certified Auburn as rare as one can find, but it has a remarkable past—having been owned, and used in movies, by one of the most beloved Hollywood actors of all time. As much as collecting is about automobiles, it is also about stories, and this vehicle has an incredible one to tell.”
Powered by a 391 cubic-inch Lycoming V12 engine with a 3-speed manual transmission and vacuum power booster, the Salons featured 4-wheel hydraulic drum brakes and a unique and desirable dashboard-controlled Dual Ratio rear axle. During roughly two-and-a-half years of production, only about 2,250 V12 Auburns were built across all six body styles, and many have not survived the decades.
This rare, high-quality Salon Cabriolet received its Verification of Originality from the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Club in 1986, at the time of its restoration by renowned A.C.D. expert Brian Joseph. The verification confirms that the vehicle has its original chassis, engine, drivetrain, and running gear components of the same model series.
The JBS Collections’s 1934 Auburn 1250 with James Cagney at the wheel, and the same car today.
A.C.D.-certified, and a perfect score winner
Of all the 1934 Auburn V12 Cabriolets that were produced, Salons and all other models, only two are A.C.D.-certified, and this extraordinary vehicle—a multiple award winner, including First Place at the 1987 Meadowbrook Concours d’Elegance, First Place in the A.C.D. Auburn Open Category in 1987, and a perfect 100-point score at the 1987 Dearborn CCCA Grand Classic, is one of the two.
“I’ve been blessed and fortunate to be able to assemble a collection of classic cars in which so many of the vehicles have incredible stories,” said Smith Jr. “Vehicles like this Auburn, and so many others in The JBS Collection—our Amelia Earhart Cord and our Packard that was originally commissioned by female Arctic explorer, Louise Arner Boyd—these are vehicles that are beyond your standard collection pieces. Our cars are not just magnificent to look at; so many of them have exceptional histories, and that’s why producing The Journey is so important to me. I want to share these cars, and all these great stories, with automotive enthusiasts all over the world.”
The Journey launched in October of 2024, and the series premiere featured Smith Jr.’s 1934 Packard Twelve 1108 Custom Convertible Sedan by Dietrich. The award-winning vehicle, painstakingly restored by Smith Jr. and LaVine, his restoration partner, was first commissioned and owned by the renowned California heiress-turned-explorer Louise Arner Boyd, one of the world’s first female Arctic explorers.
The Season Two premiere of The Journey, released in October 2025, featured The JBS Collection’s 1938 Packard 1607 Twelve Convertible Coupe—one of the very last of its make and model ever produced.