JUST THE THING TO REEL 'EM IN.(Escape Roads)(1928-30 Auburn Boattail Series I Speedster )

Byline: Mike Covello

E.L. Cord may not have invent- ed the halo car, but he did a good job of perfecting it. The 1928-30 Auburn Boattail Series I Speedster was a car that demanded shoppers come to showrooms to gaze upon its beauty. But, despite its reasonable price, most customers chose a more practical body style. Many years later, one shopper who couldn't resist its siren song was actor and auto enthusiast Ed Herrmann.

Herrmann's wife, Star, spotted the featured car tucked away in a side building at a Krause Auction in 1999. Struck by its beauty, she inquired if Herrmann liked the car. "Everybody likes it,'' shot back the man who may best be known as the voice of Dodge for more than a decade. The car had been owned by E.L. Cord's daughter, who initially tried to sell it with a half-dozen other cars. A high reserve led to a string of no sales until, patience exhausted, Cord's daughter set a reserve around a quarter of the intended $100,000-plus price tag.

Herrmann had RM Auctions bid on his behalf, and then complete the cosmetic restoration. The car was remarkably sound, needing only fresh paint-green on green was the inspired choice-and upholstery. Color selection was perhaps the most difficult part of bringing this Auburn back to its former glory.

The Eckhart Carriage Co. evolved into the Auburn Automobile Co. and was incorporated in 1903. The Eckhart family sold the company to a group of Chicago investors in 1919, who then watched profits drop from more than $1 million to $8,342 in 1923. A savior was needed. Enter Errett Lobban Cord, whose experience in hopping up Ford Model Ts and selling Moon Motor Cars helped him envision the bold plan of forgoing a large salary in favor of receiving outstanding common stock, which led to his gaining controlling interest in the company.

While Auburn was the car company that offered "the Most for the Money,'' and built a strong reputation on setting speed and endurance records, today it is its Boattail Speedsters that keep ...