?Ralph? returns home to the museum after 78 years!

Sadly, no trip to Auburn for me this summer...headed to Houston for a week instead.

See you soon, Ralphie!

Welcome Home RALPH!!!

Museum receives a donation of a rare 1930 Auburn 8-125 Sport Sedan, affectionately known as ?Ralph,? from acclaimed automotive author Beverly Rae Kimes and her automotive writer and restorer husband, Jim Cox. The 1930 Auburn 8-125 Sport Sedan is believed to be the only example in existence.

AUBURN ? At the young age of 78, ?Ralph? has returned home to the place of his birth in Auburn, Indiana and he is surrounded by many of his ?friends? from his early Auburn days. ?Ralph? can?t complain about his age, because he doesn?t look his age. In fact, he looks brand new! ?Ralph? is not your average Auburn native, but a 1930 Auburn 8-125 Sport Sedan. He was recently donated to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum by automotive enthusiasts Jim Cox and his wife Beverly Rae Kimes of Matamoras, Pennsylvania. ?Ralph? is believed to be the only 8-125 Sport Sedan known to exist, and is now on display in the original Company Showroom at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum.

Jim and Beverly had owned ?Ralph? since 1988, after purchasing him from their friends Pete and Joanne McManus, who had stored the Auburn in their barn for years. Over the past 78 years, he has traveled more than 80,000 miles, ?50,000 of those miles were racked up by Beverly and me. We have kept ?Ralph? very active among the ACD (Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg) circuit, Classic Car Club of America events, as well as many other club tours and personal drives,? said Cox. While being the Auburn?s caretaker, the couple has driven him to western Michigan, to eastern Pennsylvania and as far north as Sudbury in Ontario, Canada. ?Once we got him in running condition, Beverly and I really enjoyed being able to drive him. We got to enjoy many parts of the country behind the wheel of ?Ralph?,? said Cox.

Besides receiving new upholstery in the 1960s, ?Ralph? had his engine rebuilt and chassis restored in 1989, and a body restoration in 1999. ?His dashboard and trim are also original and have never been restored,? said Cox.

Equipped with a straight-eight Lycoming engine capable of producing 125 horsepower, the Auburn 8-125 Sport Sedan was one of six models offered by Auburn in 1930, that included a Sedan, Speedster, Cabriolet, Victoria and a Phaeton model. The Sport Sedan originally sold at a base price of $1795.

Jim and Beverly are happy to return ?Ralph? back to his home, ?Where else should a fine old Auburn be? This car could have possibly set in the very same Company Showroom back in 1930,? said Cox. ?We believe, like so many other automotive enthusiasts that the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum is one of the top automobile museums in the country. It seems well supported and we believe that it will be there for decades to come,? said Cox.

Jim and Beverly are highly respected in the classic car and automotive field, Jim with his expertise in automotive restoration and writing, and Beverly as a writer and automotive historian. Beverly is considered by many to be the most highly respected automobile historian in America. She is a past president of the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH) and has served as executive editor of the Classic Car Club of America. Six of her books have won the SAH Cugnot Award, and she has received the SAH Benz Award for best article of the year four times.

?We appreciate Jim and Beverly donating their Auburn to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum,? said Matt Short, executive vice president of the museum. ?They are both highly respected individuals in the classic car world, and it is a great honor that they have entrusted us with something so special to them. They put much thought, preparation and hard work into restoring it throughout the years. They can rest assured that ?Ralph? is in good hands. The Auburn is at home and will be entertaining and educating visitors for many years to come,? said Short.

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum ? where the world?s finest cars of yesterday live today! Over 120 classic, antique, vintage and special interest cars are displayed with other automotive related exhibits on three floors. The museum is located in the original 1930s national headquarters of the legendary Auburn Automobile Company and is a National Historic Landmark. Admission is charged, with group and family rates available. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. year round. In 2008, plan a visit and bring your family to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, a place where automotive history comes to life! acdmuseum.org