Alan Leamy

Alan Leamy. Chief Body Designer - Auburn Automobile Company. , Alan Leamy's everlasting gift to the automotive world is a legacy of stunningly boautiful body styles that are the epitome of classic car design. He was only 25 years old when he created the distinctive classic look of the Cord L-29, America's first successful front-wheel-drive production automobile. His work on the Duesenberg Model J included the front-end sheet metel and fenders. Leamy also designed the entire Auburn line from 1931 through 1934. The 1931 Auburn was the bestselling car in the Company's history. Leamy is a prime example of the bright young talent that was discovered and utilized by E. L. Cord. , Alan Leamy was born in 1902 in Arlington, Maryland. He was a victim of polio as a youth and used a cane and leg brace throughout his life. He began his design career at Marmon in Indianapolis in 1927. Aware of E. L. Cord's radical idea of building a front-wheel-drive automobile, he wrote to Cord with hopes of obtaining employment. Leamy was hired, and in 1928, he began the desirable task of designing an all-new automobile that was destined to be a classic masterpiece, the Cord L-29. He loved driving cars and was skilled at operating a clutch by manipulating his braced left leg with his hands. Leamy died in 1935 of blood poisoning from a medically administered injection. , The Tanes Foundation