Hoosier Speedboat – inspired by the 1936 Auburn 851 boat tail speedster

I heard it before I saw it. The rumble was just right as it idled toward the dais for its Best in Show (non-Deuce) Award. Then, as I saw it, the stance was just right, augmenting its giant size. I’m presuming I blurted out “I should sculpt that car”, as months later that is what Deuce Days organizers were asking me to do.

The stone choices were never in doubt. Bardiglio from Tuscany for the grey body. A Bardiglio specimen with limited veining was selected. Thus the black roof stone deserved to be visually a bit more busy, so Tennessee Black marble was the obvious choice.

Playing to the great stance, everything below the running boards was deleted. Playing to the “speedboat” name, the wheel wells were covered, and something of a vee-prow front underbody was fashioned.

Auburn was one of Indiana’s signature brands, thus the Hoosier appellation. Prior to WWII, Indianapolis and Cleveland were legitimate rivals to Detroit in the automotive space. Indeed, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway of 1909 was built primarily to serve as a test and development facility for the local OEMs.