1937 Cord 812

Model History

Auction sales research

Specifications

Body styles and Chassis Data

Exterior Photos

Convertible Coupe Chassis Num: FC3144 Engine Num: FC3144   At one point in history, E. L. Cord controlled Auburn, Duesenberg, Cord, Lycoming, Stinson Aircraft and American Airways, and the Checker and Yellow Cab companies. He was a salesman who had worked his way into a position of leadership and had a portfolio that included 156 companies. In 1924 he had acquired Auburn and from there the success steam-rolled. He introduced the front-wheel drive Auburn in 1929, commonly known as the L29. The stock market crash in the early 1930s brought the luxury car market to a standstill; to combat this recession E. L. Cord commissioned Gordon Buehrig to create a baby Duesenberg. The result was a medium-priced, front-wheel drive car which ultimately led to the Model 810 in 1936. The car brought with it style and performance at a reasonable price. The car featured a coffin-nose and retractable headlights. The car was powered by a Lycoming V8 engine and was introduced at the 1935 New York Auto Show. The Supercharged Phaetons were highly sought after, even by the noteworthy individuals of the period, including Frank Llyod Wright, Gary Cooper, and Clark Gable. There were a total of 610 Phaeton cars created and less than 200 were supercharged. 195 examples were Convertible Coupes and 64 were supercharged. These Convertible Coupes with the supercharger engine offered open-air driving with maximum performance and exceptional style. The Convertible Coupe has become known as the Sportsman, though it was never called that by Cord. The convertible top can completely fold into the rear deck panel and is completely hidden. This example has a long and renowned history. It has undergone a complete and comprehensive restoration that included every nut-and-bolt. The total hours invested was between 6,000 and 7,000. The most unique feature of this car is its color, which is an 'improvement' upon the factory Cigarette Cream color. This color is a very vibrant yellow that stands out among other Cords. This car is well maintained and built to the highest standards. It was offered for sale at the 2007 RM Auctions held at Meadow Brook where it had no reserve and estimated to sell between $325,000 - $375,000. This car is highly sought after and it showed at the auction; the car was sold for $352,000. By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2007

Auction Sales Information

Event	Group
Vintage Motor Car Auction at Meadow Brook Hall	1937-1949