Jay Leno in his 1931 Auburn 8-98 A before restoration.

Jay Leno has a large collection of Duesenbergs, but in this episode of "Jay Leno's Garage," he checks out a 1932 Auburn 8-98 A from the defunct automaker's sibling brand and learns from owner Rex Johnson that this resto He heard the full story of this unrestored car.

Named after Auburn, Indiana, Auburn reached its heyday under the aegis of E.L. Cord, who also controlled Duesenberg. Cord placed Auburn under Duesenberg and attempted to create a General Motors-style hierarchy with his own eponymous Cord brand.

The car is not a pristine concours spec car, but it is in surprisingly good condition for its age. According to Johnson, who lives near Minneapolis, one reason for this is that the Auburn was well kept by the previous owner, a local hot rodder. The car was stored in a steel shed and put on jack stands with all fluids drained except fuel.

Under the long hood was a 98-horsepower straight-8 engine supplied by Lycoming (hence the name 8-98), which Johnson says required a 17-man rebuild of the carburetor to get it running again.

Auburn is best known for its stylish boat-tail speedsters, but this car is a more conservatively styled sedan. It is also fairly basic by Auburn standards, Johnson says. However, Leno noted that today fewer people are interested in preserving such an average car, which may be what makes it so rare.

Johnson has no plans to restore the Auburn, and says that thanks to its originality, it gets more attention at car shows than the already restored version. He says the car is mechanically sound anyway. Obvious signs of wear, such as chipped paint, are largely cosmetic. For more on this rare survivor, watch the full video.