Origin: Auburn, IN
Engine: 8-Cylinder
Transmission: 4-Speed Semi-Automatic
Cords were a product of the Auburn Automobile Company after it was bought off William Wrigley by Erret Lobban Cord in 1926. Starting with the Cord L-29s in 1929, production was suspended in 1932 due to the Great Depression. It resumed again in 1936 with the Cord 810, followed by the Cord 812. They are best known for being the first American-designed and built cars with front wheel drive, complete with an independent front suspension, as well as the first cars to offer hidden headlights. Overall, they were sleek vehicles with many innovations that wouldn’t be adopted as the standard for many years, such as windshield wipers and car radios.
The Cord was originally conceived as a Duesenberg, another luxury car brand owned by the Auburn Automobile Company, before it spun off into its own creation. The 810 created so much buzz during the 1936 New York Auto Show that attendees were said to stand on the bumpers of nearby cars just to catch a glimpse of it. Though Cord needed to build 100 cars to qualify for the show, they rushed to get them done and never completed the transmission. Even so, they took orders at the show, promising 1,000 cars by Christmas the very next month. Official production didn’t begin until February of the following year. Due to delayed production and issues with the semi-automatic transmission, sales were poor. Only 1,174 810s were ever produced.
The 812 came out after, with 1,798 being produced. Unfortunately, due to continued mechanical problems, a smaller dealer base, and allegations of financial fraud, the Auburn Automobile Company decided to stop producing Cords and file for bankruptcy. That being said, the Cord 812s were iconic, often being driven by spies and superheroes in popular culture. This 1937 Cord 812 was one of the last off the line and a rarity as both a convertible and supercharged (upping the vehicle’s horsepower from 125 to 170). There are believed to be only 134 supercharged Cord 812s left in the world today and two of them are located in the Rich Harvest Farms Car Museum.