1935 Auburn 851 Supercharged Boat-tail Speedster with Bohman & Schwartz coachwork
- Engine
- Supercharged straight-eight
- Colour
- Red
A 1935 Auburn 851 Supercharged Speedster with bespoke coachwork executed by the celebrated Pasadena firm Bohman & Schwartz, this car was originally acquired by Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton as a gift for her husband Prince Alexis Mdivani. Subsequent owner Alan Gordon had the car transformed with full pontoon fenders, extended bodywork, and other streamlined alterations; it was later used within the Hollywood film industry. After passing through several American owners over decades, the car was acquired by its present UK owner in 1989 and underwent a comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration in 2012–2013 at a documented cost of approximately £102,000.
Ownership
- 2019-12-07Auction saleEstimate £650,000 – £750,000
- 1949 → 1950Acquisition unknownA W M Cunninghampartial documentation
Brooklyn-based owner who held the car briefly before selling it the following year.
- 1950 → 1958Private saleR B Simpsonpartial documentation
Burbank, California resident who retained the car for roughly eight years before selling it on 15 March 1958.
- 1958-03-15 →Private saleE W Pricepartial documentation
Boulder, Colorado owner who reversed some Bohman and Schwartz front-end changes back toward stock 1935 specification and had the car resprayed from white to red, while retaining most other bespoke coachwork details.
- → 1989-03-21Private saleDavid R Kerrpartial documentation
Denver resident who stored the car in a climate-controlled facility and drove it sparingly to local classic car events; ownership lasted approximately 28 years.
- 1989-03-21 →Private saleCurrent UK ownerfull documentation
UK-based owner who commissioned a full restoration in 2011–2013 through Maserati Service Wycombe (coachwork) and Nicholson McLaren (engine rebuild), at a documented cost of around £102,000; also toured the car in the USA in 1992.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownBarbara Huttonpartial documentation
Woolworth heiress who bought the Auburn as a gift for her husband Prince Alexis Mdivani; following the breakdown of their marriage the car went into storage.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownAlan Gordonpartial documentation
Film publicist and camera manufacturer who commissioned Bohman and Schwartz of Pasadena to rebody the car to his personal brief; used it prominently at Hollywood events and made it available to the film industry through Pacific Auto Rentals.
- Date unknownPrivate saleRoy Butlerpartial documentation
Denver, Colorado resident who purchased from Price and subsequently sold to a fellow Denver owner.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1958Modification
Partial reversion toward the original 1935 specification: the non-standard grille was swapped for an authentic unit, flush headlamps were replaced with Woodlight fittings, and original emblems, door handles, and bumpers were reinstated; the remaining Bohman & Schwartz alterations were kept. The bodywork was also resprayed from white to red.
Work initiated by owner E W Price of Boulder, Colorado, who disliked the modified front end but wished to retain the other coachwork changes.
- 2011RestorationMaserati Service Wycombe
A comprehensive full restoration of the Speedster was commissioned, with the body and chassis work carried out by Maserati Service Wycombe.
Work began in August 2011; total documented expenditure across the restoration was approximately £102,000, with invoices retained in the history file.
- 2012Engine rebuildNicholson McLaren
The supercharged engine was dispatched to Nicholson McLaren for a complete strip-down and rebuild to the last nut and bolt.
Nicholson McLaren are described as Formula 1 and Lycoming engine specialists; the rebuild formed part of the broader 2012–2013 restoration programme.
- —ModificationBohman & Schwartz
Bohman & Schwartz of Pasadena carried out extensive bespoke coachwork alterations including new pontoon fenders, widened and lengthened bodywork, four exhaust pipes through the front left fender, a redesigned firewall and bonnet, concealed door hinges, frenched taillights, a flush heart-shaped fuel filler cover, detachable rear spats, and removal of the golf club compartment.
Work was commissioned by Alan Gordon and reported in Rod & Custom magazine, July 1955.
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