1930 Cord L-29

The front-wheel-drive Cord L-29 was innovative and different. It was the first major American production car with the front-wheel-drive configuration, and its design and mechanical complexity proved the true genius of Errett Lobban Cord. Harry Miller and Cornelius Van Ranst were responsible for the engineering. John Oswald engineered the body. Auburn's chief designer, Al Leamy, applied many styling accents such as the radiator. The $3000 factory price was very reasonable, but the declining global market and the stock market crash were very detrimental to the sale of the vehicle.

The L-29 was introduced in 1929 by Errett Lobban Cord as a gap-filling model priced between his Cord Corporation's Auburn and Duesenberg lines, the latter being totally redesigned that year. Cord was an avid race fan and was impressed by the performance of the Harry Miller-designed front-wheel-drive Junior 8 Special. In 1926, he acquired the passenger-car rights to Miller's FWD designs. Cornelius Van Ranst was hired to aid with development, and by November of 1927, the first prototype was ready for testing and assessment by Cord's Chief Engineer - Fred Duesenberg. The elegantly styled coachwork was the work of staff designer Al Leamy, underpinned by Van Ranst's X-braced chassis frame – the world's first.

Without a driveshaft tunnel, the bodies could be mounted low on the frame, making the Cord sit lower than other cars of its era, giving it a low center of gravity. The interior had flat floors offering spacious seating. The low-slung frame attracted the attention of coachbuilders and craftsmen on both sides of the Atlantic.

Production of the 'L-29' began at the Auburn, Indiana plant in April 1929, with a two-day press launch in June. The increased passenger space was immediately apparent, while the low-slung frame allowed master craftsmen on both sides of the Atlantic to cloth the Cord in unique and attractive coachwork. Body styles initially offered included a sedan, brougham, convertible coupe, and Phaeton, with prices that ranged from $3,095 to $3,295.

The 298.6 cubic-inch L-head (flat head) inline 8-cylinder engine built by Lycoming (another of Cord's companies) used an updraft Schebler carburetor to develop 125 horsepower and was backed by a three-speed manual transmission. Four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, with the front being inboard, provided the stopping power.

Just as the Cord reached dealers' showrooms, the Wall Street Crash of October 1929 crippled the market, and the list of capable buyers quickly dried up. Price cuts were not effective in revitalizing sales and the world's first practical front-wheel-drive production car was discontinued in 1932. A total of 5,010 L-29 examples were built, including cars supplied in chassis form to independent coachbuilders.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020