27th Feb, 2008 0:00
The Centaur
1937 Cord 812 Beverly Sedan
Estimated at £40,000 - £45,000
Lot details
Registration No: UN-REG
Chassis No: 1468S
Mot Expiry: German Tuv
The last great hurrah of the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Empire, the Cord 810 was introduced in 1936. Styled by Gordon Miller Buehrig, its famous 'coffin-nose' prow and pontoon front wings (complete with hand cranked retractable headlamps) were to have originally graced a 'baby' Duesenberg project. A highly sophisticated design, the 810 remained true to Cord's front-wheel drive principles but proved somewhat nimbler than its L-29 predecessor thanks to the use of a more compact 288.6 ci (4.7 litre) Lycoming V8 engine and independent trailing arm / transverse leaf front suspension. Equipped with a Bendix 'Electric-Hand' pre-selector four-speed gearbox, semi-elliptic leaf-sprung beam rear axle and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, its first season was beset with teething troubles. However, Cord seemed confident enough about curing these to make a Schwitzer-Cummins supercharger optional for the revised 812 range in 1937. A not inconsiderable $450 extra (about the price of a contemporary small Ford), the centrifugal blower reputedly boosted power from 125hp to 190hp raising top speed from 90mph to a claimed 110mph in the process. Available in a variety of open and closed guises, just under 3,000 Cord 810 / 812 cars are thought to have been made (though, the normally aspirated cars predominated).
Finished in Cadet Grey with Navy Blue cloth upholstery, this particular example is variously described by the vendor as being in "good" (bodywork, paintwork), "very good" (electrical equipment, interior trim, chassis, wheels / tyres) or "excellent" (engine, four-speed preselector transmission) condition. Reportedly "the prototype of the first Custom 812 Beverly Sedan with the bustle trunk", chassis 1468S is further understood to have been certified by the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club. Due to its hand finished nature, the seller feels that the four-door fastback "cannot be compared to the subsequent run of approximately 200 production cars". Retrimmed some eight years ago, the 812 is thought to still retain a good proportion of its original paintwork. Treated to an extensive engine overhaul by a marque specialist in 2005 that also saw attention paid to the supercharger, starter motor, generator and water pump, the Cord had its front shock absorbers refurbished only last year. Riding on correct type SC wheels, chassis 1468S is said to "run powerfully and flawlessly on the road". Boasting "a sound undercarriage" and "full set of working instruments", this historic Cord passed a German TUV roadworthiness test in June 2007.
PLEASE NOTE: According to information supplied by the vendor this lot began life as a normally aspirated Cord 810. However, instead of being released into the dealer network, it was retained by the factory and modified with a bustle trunk and supercharged engine. These factory modifications are the reason that the prototype has been classified by the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Club as a 'Category No. 1 - Certified Original Car'.
Registration No: UN-REG
Chassis No: 1468S
Mot Expiry: German Tuv
The last great hurrah of the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Empire, the Cord 810 was introduced in 1936. Styled by Gordon Miller Buehrig, its famous 'coffin-nose' prow and pontoon front wings (complete with hand cranked retractable headlamps) were to have originally graced a 'baby' Duesenberg project. A highly sophisticated design, the 810 remained true to Cord's front-wheel drive principles but proved somewhat nimbler than its L-29 predecessor thanks to the use of a more compact 288.6 ci (4.7 litre) Lycoming V8 engine and independent trailing arm / transverse leaf front suspension. Equipped with a Bendix 'Electric-Hand' pre-selector four-speed gearbox, semi-elliptic leaf-sprung beam rear axle and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, its first season was beset with teething troubles. However, Cord seemed confident enough about curing these to make a Schwitzer-Cummins supercharger optional for the revised 812 range in 1937. A not inconsiderable $450 extra (about the price of a contemporary small Ford), the centrifugal blower reputedly boosted power from 125hp to 190hp raising top speed from 90mph to a claimed 110mph in the process. Available in a variety of open and closed guises, just under 3,000 Cord 810 / 812 cars are thought to have been made (though, the normally aspirated cars predominated).
Finished in Cadet Grey with Navy Blue cloth upholstery, this particular example is variously described by the vendor as being in "good" (bodywork, paintwork), "very good" (electrical equipment, interior trim, chassis, wheels / tyres) or "excellent" (engine, four-speed preselector transmission) condition. Reportedly "the prototype of the first Custom 812 Beverly Sedan with the bustle trunk", chassis 1468S is further understood to have been certified by the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club. Due to its hand finished nature, the seller feels that the four-door fastback "cannot be compared to the subsequent run of approximately 200 production cars". Retrimmed some eight years ago, the 812 is thought to still retain a good proportion of its original paintwork. Treated to an extensive engine overhaul by a marque specialist in 2005 that also saw attention paid to the supercharger, starter motor, generator and water pump, the Cord had its front shock absorbers refurbished only last year. Riding on correct type SC wheels, chassis 1468S is said to "run powerfully and flawlessly on the road". Boasting "a sound undercarriage" and "full set of working instruments", this historic Cord passed a German TUV roadworthiness test in June 2007.
PLEASE NOTE: According to information supplied by the vendor this lot began life as a normally aspirated Cord 810. However, instead of being released into the dealer network, it was retained by the factory and modified with a bustle trunk and supercharged engine. These factory modifications are the reason that the prototype has been classified by the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Club as a 'Category No. 1 - Certified Original Car'.
Auction: The Centaur, 27th Feb, 2008
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