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looking to find the value of a 1922 Auburn


Guest Colpitts

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Guest Colpitts

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It's my Fathers and used to be my Grandfathers. It's been in a heated garage for the last 40 years that I know of, has around 19,000 miles and runs. Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Dan

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Don't know the value, but that's a really nice car. The picture's a little fuzzy from the side view, but it appears to be one of the best top jobs I've seen on a 20's car.....good luck with value and sale, if that's the ultimate goal...

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Guest Colpitts
Is that a fixed top? I think they called them California tops. No idea on value. Nice car.

Fixed top and that's the name my Father called it too, California top. The pictures are a bit fuzzy, my Dad isn't the best with cameras and computers. I'm going to see what I can do to get some other pictures up, he's in upstate NY with the car and I'm in Florida so its not easy sometimes. The car was painted back in 54 or 55 but beside that not much else has been done to it. He used to take it to shows when I was a kid but hasn't done much beside run it every so often since.

Thanks

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I'll make a wild guess. An urns are very good cars, although 1922 is not a hot year for many cars....some great cars were built, but the period from 1916 to about 1928 is a slight gray area in car collecting....not pre- 1916 brass cars, and not the styling years which began in 1928....

But, it's an Auburn. My feeling is that, with a decent restoration, that car would be worth $35k or so. As it sits, with an older restoration, I believe $16-18k is top dollar for the car, and even that may be strong.....

Remember, my opinion.....

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I don't know much about Auburns of this period but I notice it has an overhead valve engine. According to information I have Auburns only used an ohv (3.25 x 5 - 250 cid) engine in 1923 and 1924 and it was built by Weidely. Most of Auburn's other models in that period used side valve Continentals.

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Guest Colpitts

Some additional picturespost-106417-143142969363_thumb.jpg

This are not the best pictures. My Dad doesn't have a computer or a digital camera so its take pictures and send them to me to put on here.

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Guest Colpitts

Thanks, I wish he still had his 31 Cadillac, now that was a sweet car. Took a old girlfriend to a prom in. But that was sold long ago now. I'll post over there and see if anyone can help. Thanks

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Such a nice looking car....I'm now leaning to 20k+, you should post this on the ACD club forum.

The problem is most of the ACD club members are not on-line. Posting a picture on the ACD site is difficult at best. Some kind of picture hosting service is required.

Since the rules have been relaxed on this buy / sell forum, I would post the pix here, sans price.

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The problem is most of the ACD club members are not on-line. Posting a picture on the ACD site is difficult at best. Some kind of picture hosting service is required.

Since the rules have been relaxed on this buy / sell forum, I would post the pix here, sans price.

I thought I was the only one that found the ACD site hard to use and load photos to. Glad to know it's not just me.

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Rumor has it that the ACD website will be updated this summer.

engine is a 6 cyl Continental Red Seal engine. So then is the OHV engine in this car correct?

According to information I have the side valve 224 cid Continental 7R was used 1920 to 1922. For 1923 and 1924 their lower price model 6-43 used a 195 cid side valve Continental and the upper price model 6-63 used the Weidely Model R overhead valve six. From 1925 they mostly (with some exceptions) used Lycomings. It was about then that Errett Cord became involved and I think it was he who began the Lycoming connection and revitalised the company. I guess that this ohv model is not very common as Auburn only sold about 15,000 cars total in the early 1920s and I guess the majority would have been the Continental sixes. As usual of course just because something is rare does not necessarily mean it is more valuable.

Re 'Red Seal' I don't know enough about Continental to know what is a Red Seal and what is not. It seems to be a name that has stuck and is used for any Continental engine.

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Guest Colpitts
hi, engine is a 6 cyl Continental Red Seal engine. would be curious if the car has the original top bows prior to the California top and when repainted in the 50s if painted the original color...thanks

My Dad says he has all the original bows and he isn't sure if it was repainted the original color.

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Is there something he can look for to see if the engine is in fact a 6-51?

6-51 would be the model number for 1922...will post of pic of the engine...also confirm that the radiator emblem states Auburn Beauty Six as in the radiator pic i posted..thanks for all. the advertising brochere i posted is from 1923. will look for a 22. i have in storage but will look for something on the internet. MID TO late 1923 they were no longer the Auburn Beauty Six series plus no longer the 7R engine.post-31098-143142972986_thumb.jpg 1923 AUBURN 6-41 RADIATOR EMBLEM

Edited by kmstrade (see edit history)
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If this is a '22 Auburn Beauty Six, then I think it's one of only a few known...at one time, the one in the ACD museum was owned by a fellow in Louisiana....I once admired his car at a show, saying something like "nice car, don't see many like that" and he got agitated and said NO YOU DON'T SEE ANY OF THIS IT'S THE ONLY ONE IN EXISTENCE......rare doesn't always mean valuable, but if it's a Beauty Six there may be some more interest just because of the romance of the name!!

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[ATTACH=CONFIG]295075[/ATTACH]engine from a 1923 643.

If you read the small print in this ad - http://www.ebay.com/itm/1923-Auburn-Automobile-Co-IN-Indiana-Six-Supreme-6-43-Engine-Motor-Car-Print-Ad-/151572090144?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item234a668d20 - you will see that it is the 6-63 that is the upper price model with the 'new' engine. As quoted " For those who desire Auburn quality and distinction in a more compact and economical car there is the new Auburn 6-43 series at a new low price for Auburn Sixes." The 6-43 touring was $1095, the 6-63 was $1650. I note also mention of war taxes still being charged.

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If this is a '22 Auburn Beauty Six, then I think it's one of only a few known...at one time, the one in the ACD museum was owned by a fellow in Louisiana....I once admired his car at a show, saying something like "nice car, don't see many like that" and he got agitated and said NO YOU DON'T SEE ANY OF THIS IT'S THE ONLY ONE IN EXISTENCE......rare doesn't always mean valuable, but if it's a Beauty Six there may be some more interest just because of the romance of the name!!

I think for a person to make a statement like that about a production car is a bit presumptuous. Clearly he didn't know about this car.

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thanks, i have a basket case beauty six from 22 ...they were built 1919 to 22 or 23...i would suspect many more than 2 left in the world. though since assembled cars does not mean that much more valuable since rare. perhaps this was built late 22 since are some differences with my 6-51....great car

Edited by kmstrade (see edit history)
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I agree his statement was somewhat presumptuous .... He'd taken the car long ago to the ACD festival, and was told something like "this is the only one we've seen so far at this show", and he seemed to remember only the first five words!

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around 20k is fair market value for your car

as a reference-there have been two early 20's Paige tourings on the bay. owners wtd around 25k and they did not sell. As Trim says-the year unfortunately is in the gray period.

I would equate the Auburn to the Paige cars. Both were upper crust in their day, but are somewhat orphan cars today.

Good luck with your sale. Nice car and I am sure, a pleasure to drive.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest prewar40

Like the others I like your Auburn, but there may be another one at the ACD museum in Auburn IN.

They have a 1922 touring 6 cyl and I found this on their website.

1922 Auburn Beauty-Six Sport Touring - This is a very rare Auburn automobile and is the only complete example of this body style known to exist.

In the early 20's a number of makers issued a sport model, the car had the same drive train and body but had standard equipment such as disc wheels,

a tan top, special two tone paint and nickel trim. It might be worth a call to them just to get the details.

-- Google 1922 Auburn touring and you'll find pictures of their car.

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Guest Colpitts

Currently waiting on my Dad to take a few pictures of the radiator or something else that would distinguish the car but from what I've seen posted I'm thinking its not a Beauty-Six.

This is from the paper from back when my Dad was 19. The article has it kinda wrong, the second car was my Dad's Cadillac and the previous owner was the head chef at the Waldorf Astoria. They call the car a Waldorf Astoria. Wish he still had the Cadillac.

Auburn article.PDF

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super articlepost-31098-143142984956_thumb.jpg...all in agreement what a great car it is...learning curve for me since i had thought all 1922 would be 6-51 auburn beauty six thus now we know 6-43s came out the same year. this is 1919 auburn beauty six. i have pics of the green 1922 auburn beauty six referred to from the ACD. WILL look for them. that picture would be interesting since it would have the same headlights as your 6-43 i suspect...

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1922 Auburn Beauty Six 6-51 as Prewar40 mentioned in the ACD museum...my 22 has the same headlights as the 1919 but in this case either as a start to the 6-41 or attempt to upgrade the cars it appears headlights are more like yours included 6-43 radiator again. looks like the radiator in article you submitted.post-31098-143142984969_thumb.jpg

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Auburn is famous for 'running changes' It is very possible that the Continental engines ran out and the new engine were there, so that is what the factory installed an the end of the 22 model year run.

That would not make the car any more or less valuable.

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I am not disputing the value of the car. I am just pointing out that the cars with the overhead valve engine were a completely different, and more expensive, model. They continued to built lower price models with the side valve engine. I suspect the car here, with the overhead valve engine is quite rare and potentially more valuable than the side valve models.

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