Cord Automobiles
Cord Automobiles - Over 10,000 Classic, Collector and Current Cars and Trucks at RemarkableCars.com
Cord Automobiles
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1937 Cord 812 SC Phaeton RM Auctions Location: Amelia Island, Florida |
Auction Results March, 2009 | $175,000 |
Cord Automobiles - Random Listings From Our Picture Gallery
 1930 Cord L-29 Convertible Roadster | 1930 Cord L-29 Convertible Roadster 1930 Cord L-29 Convertible Roadster Antique Automobile Club of America Museum (AACA) in Hershey, Pennsylvania Website: www.aacamuseum.org Photos by Douglas Wilkinson by Douglas |
 1936 Cord 810 Phaeton Sedan | 1936 Cord 810 Phaeton Sedan 170,500.00 USD 1936 Cord 810 Phaeton Sedan RM Auctions Automobiles of Amelia Island Collector Car Auction Amelia Island, Florida March 13, 2009 AUCTION RESULTS: Lot 129 - Sold at a price of $170,500 190 hp, 269 cu. in. L-head, side valve flathead Lycoming V8 engine, four-speed electric pre-selector gearbox, front-wheel drive. Wheelbase: 125" To overcome sagging sales during the Great Depression, Cord introduced the 810. The car was conceived using a proven formula for sales success: a combination of styling, performance and reasonable price. Highly advanced, the new car offered hidden headlights, a sleek "coffin nose" hood, no running boards and, of course, front drive. It was an instant sensation. Approximately 600 of the very attractive Convertible Phaeton Sedans were built during the two-year life of the Cord Front Drive, making them rare when new – and rarer still today. They offer a beguiling combination of landmark styling, exceptional performance and open air motoring. The Phaeton design was a unique four-passenger convertible as one of the first production examples of this body style. Until Cord's Phaeton, two-door, four-passenger convertibles were called convertible victorias. Their blind quarter convertible tops were elegant but made for poor visibility for rear seat passengers. The example offered here has benefited from a full restoration, intended to be of nice driver quality as opposed to professional concours show quality. It has been fitted with external exhaust, although the car is not supercharged. Today, the paintwork is quite good, finished in cigarette cream with only minor defects due to aging and light orange peel in the finish. Similarly, the chrome and brightwork is highly presentable. The undercarriage is undercoated, and the tan top is in good condition. The maroon leather interior is quite good, with no significant flaws and only minor evidence of use. The rear seats are as new, and the door panels have sagged slightly. The carpets are well done and nicely fitted, and the dash and gauges are as new. The engine bay is highly detailed, very correct and well done. The odometer indicates 123 miles, which would be consistent with mileage since restoration. This lovely example is a CCCA Full Classic and as such would make an ideal tour or CARavan car. With their seamless preselector transmissions and four-speed gearboxes, these Cords offer effortless cruising at modern highway speeds. by Douglas |
 1936 Cord 810 Phaeton | 1936 Cord 810 Phaeton 198,000.00 USD Offered For Sale at the: The Worldwide Group Auctioneers 2008, August 30 - The Auburn Auction The Worldwide Group Auctioneers 2952 County Road 68 Auburn, Indiana 46706 Phone: 800-990-6789 Phone: 260-927-0000 Website: www.wwgauctions.com 1936 Cord 810 Phaeton $198,000 CCCA Winner 2007 by Douglas |
 1937 Cord 812 Westchester | 1937 Cord 812 Westchester 1937 Cord 812 Westchester Vintage American Car Photo By: Douglas Wilkinson Location: Kokomo Automotive Heritage Museum, Kokomo, Indiana by Douglas |
 1937 Cord Supercharged 812 Coupe | 1937 Cord Supercharged 812 Coupe 1937 Cord Supercharged 812 Coupe Photo By: Douglas Wilkinson Location: The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum (A-C-D) in Auburn, Indiana. by Douglas |
Cord History
Born in Warrenburg, Missouri, in 1894, Everett Lobban Cord was no stranger to automobiles. His ventures included building racing bodies on Model T Fords, operating a trucking company, becoming vice-president and general manager of the Chicago distributor for Moon cars and, in 1924, serving as General Manager of the Auburn Automobile Company. By 1929, Cord had turned the failing company into a very successful concern by purchasing other companies which included Duesenberg and Lycoming. Wanting to produce a car bearing his own name, plans began for a Cord automobile.
The Cord automobile debuted in 1929 as a midprice offering between the Auburn and Duesenberg marques owned by Errett L. Cord. The L-29 Cord had a 125-horsepower inline eight-cylinder Lycoming engine mounted backward to accommodate the car?s unique front-wheel-drive.
The Cord was a part of an empire owned by its namesake, E.L. Cord that included auto makers Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg, and Checker Motors. Additionally, E.L. Cord owned Lycoming Manufacturing Company (engines), Limousine Body Company and Central Manufacturing Company (auto bodies), and Century Airlines, among others.
Cord L-29
Cord launched the L-29 for the 1930 model year. The Classic Cord L-29 had front-wheel drive powered by a redesigned 299-cid 125-bhp straight-eight engine that had to be mounted "backward" with the transmission toward the front of the car. The 137.5-inch wheelbase provided the length necessary.
The new Cord proved to popular with celebrities and custom bodies were provided by several coachbuilders.
Four basic bodies were offered by Cord: a brougham, cabriolet, phaeton, and a four-door sedan. The sedan was the least expensive at $3,095.
During its production run from 1929 to 1932, 5010 Cord L-29 chassis were built.
Cord 810/812 Beverly
Cord next produced the Model 810, also a front-whell drive like the L-29. Designed by Gordon M. Buehrig, their styling was a radical departure from the typical design. These models featured a massive coffin-nosed hood with a wrap-around grille, pontoon front fenders, center hinged doors, and lower body sills that eliminated traditional running boards, and the first disappearing headlamps (retracted by hand-cranks on either side of the steering wheel). The Model 810 was considered the best looking car at the 1935 New York Automobile Show.
Despite many orders at the show, the 810 did not go into production until February, 1936, by which time many customers had become impatient and had cancelled their orders. This fact, combined with problems with the transmission and overheating, dampened Model 810 sales and only 1,174 were built in 1936.
A longer wheelbase and a chauffeur´s division were offered in 1937, together with an optional supercharger on 810/812 models. Only 1,146 1937 Cords were sold before production ceased.
The front-wheel drive 1936 and 1937 Cord models were some of the most visually striking, novel, and mechanically advanced automobiles of the day.
Cord Production
| Year | Production |
| 1930 | 1,700 |
| 1936 | 1,174 |
| 1937 | 1,146 |
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