Lot details Registration No: UN-REG Chassis No: 31949 F Mot Expiry: None
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. Of the 1,146 Cord 812s apparently made, just 195 are thought to have been Convertible Coupes and of those just 64 are said to have been ordered new with superchargers.
Finished in gloss black with beige leather upholstery, this particular example left-hand drive has been part of the collection since 1994. Certified by the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club as C-185 under certificate number 7361850-2, it was formerly the property of Chris Cord (Errett Lobban Cord's grandson). A multiple prize winner with a competition history that is believed to date back to 1974 when it was awarded a 1st Junior Prize at Hershey by the Antique Automobile Club of America (duly exchanged for an AACA 1st Senior Prize the following year), more recent triumphs have included a 1st Senior Prize from the Classic Car Club of America bestowed during their 1993 Ohio Summer Grand Classic and a 1st Junior Prize from the ACD Club gained that same year. Interestingly, these latter two accolades were earned after the car had undergone a $45,000 refurbishment that saw it modified with period turn signals, a heavy-duty oil pump (Cord pump machined to take larger gears) and a pressurised cooling system. Wonderfully detailed, its engine-turned dashboard houses a 150mph speedometer and is offset by pleated door cards, art-deco window winders and a footwell heater. Under the bonnet, the V8 is dressed with an 'Air Maze' air filter, enamelled exhaust manifolds, centrifugal blower (V1562) and Stromberg carburettor. An extremely rare car with the added bonus of Cord family provenance, this 812SC Convertible Coupe is not to be missed.
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