The authenticity of this particular 12-160A Boattail Speedster, one of the twelve verified authentic cars, is beyond question, with an unusually fortunate, lengthy provenance with enthusiasts extending back over the last six decades. Its history has been traced by historians back to 1957, when it was owned by Earl Grey of Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Grey held on to the Auburn until 1962, at which point he sold the car to Frank Cek, another Ohio Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club member, who is highly respected as a specialist in the twelve-cylinder Auburns. Mr. Cek owned the Speedster for nearly four decades and, importantly, largely preserved it in its original and intact condition.

In 2000 the car was inspected at Mr. Cek's home by Paul Bryant, chairman of the ACD Club's Certification program. After careful recording and verification of its numbers, the Speedster was issued Category 1 Certification. This document, a copy of which is on file, notes that the car retained, as it does today, even the original serial number and engine number plates, its original frame stamping, and the original body number stamping in the woodwork. Few surviving examples of its kind have "ticked all the boxes" so thoroughly, undoubtedly due to the preservation efforts of the car's owners. Mr. Bryant summed up his report with unusually enthusiastic hand-written notes, recognizing the quality of what he beheld: "A rare authentic speedster...All Nos. match...This is the most original unrestored 12-cyl. Speedster I have ever seen – a benchmark for originality & authenticity!"

Soon after this inspection the car was acquired from Mr. Cek by another well-known figure in the Auburn Twelve world, Ron Monte of New Jersey, with whom it remained until its acquisition by the current owner in 2015. Soon thereafter the new owner decided that such an outstanding Speedster deserved a restoration of equal quality, and submitted the car to Steve Babinsky's Automotive Restorations of Lebanon, New Jersey. Automotive Restorations is highly respected, having produced numerous national award-winning examples of various Classic marques, including Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and is widely regarded for both the mechanical and cosmetic quality of their work.

A full restoration was undertaken, with no component left untouched and the goal of returning every nut and bolt to authentic, original condition. In a recent conversation, Mr. Babinsky noted that he was pleased to find that the car's reputation as a straight, solid and remarkably complete original example – shown in photographs taken on-delivery – had not been exaggerated. Every piece of original sheet metal and inner woodwork was preserved and reused, including even the fenders and sills; the original body number stampings remain in place. Every drivetrain component was correctly and properly rebuilt.

Indeed, great effort was taken to ensure that the car would not only be capable of winning major awards, but that it would also run and drive strongly – important to the owner, who thrills at actually using and enjoying his automobiles. It has been well-maintained to that same standard since; even the Columbia Dual-Ratio rear axle functions as was originally intended, and the owner notes that he has indeed driven the car at 90 mph, "as I felt everybody should do that at least once!"

At the completion of the restoration, the car debuted at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it received a class award in the always hotly-contested American Classic Open class, and received the Briggs Cunningham Trophy, recognizing it as the Most Elegant Open Car. It also received the Roy Faulkner Trophy for Best Auburn and the Harold Ames Trophy for Best of Show at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club's 2016 National Reunion; scored at a perfect 100 points at the Classic Car Club of America's Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada, in early 2017; and achieved a Junior First Prize and the National Auburn Cord Duesenberg Trophy in Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) competition. Everywhere it has gone, it has been an award-winner.

Few of the surviving twelve-cylinder Boattail Speedster have accumulated such a wealth of important honors – with, it should be noted, many more such opportunities remaining open for a new owner, including further judging occasions with the AACA and CCCA, and many other significant concours in both the United States and abroad. It would also, of course, be warmly welcomed back to Auburn and other ACD Club events, where its quality, excellence and provenance are widely recognized.

The opportunity to acquire a genuine twelve-cylinder Auburn Boattail Speedster happens once a generation, and few meet the exceptional standards of authenticity, purity, and quality set by this national award-winning, ACD Club Certified Category 1 example. It is deserving of the most outstanding and selective collector, as the finest of its kind available – a truly superb car.
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