- Certification from the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club C-455
- Antique Automobile Club of America's (AACA) First Prize Junior in 2015
- Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) Full Classic®
LOT 420
Selling on Saturday
1936 Cord 810 Phaeton
In the 1920s, the Auburn Automobile Company was looking for a new man to lead the company into the future. The man chosen as manager was a successful entrepreneur, Errett Lobban "E. L." Cord, whose counteroffer amounted to buying the company out entirely and was accepted in 1924. Five years later, Cord's eponymous brand released the L-29, featuring a beautiful albeit traditionally styled body, and a Lycoming engine and three-speed transmission mounted backwards, becoming one of the first front-wheel drive production cars. Cord's goal for the next car was a "Baby Duesenberg," and tasked Auburn Speedster and Duesenberg Model J Designer, Gordon Buehrig, with the project. However, in the wake of the Crash of 1929, the project evolved to become the next Cord, the 810.
Buehrig's design for the 810, and subsequent 812, was a radical new streamliner based on the L-29's engineering principles, instantly recognizable for the pronounced hood, the sleek, wraparound louver grille, and the retractable headlights in the curvaceous fenders - a first for a production car. This styling gave the 810 and 812 the "Coffin-Nose Cord" moniker, but the Duesenberg roots are evident in the steep rake and narrow glass of the split windshield and the delicate slope of the rear end. The "Baby Duesenberg" received a pre-select four-speed transmission, and a standard equipment radio and under dash speaker. High-style meets high-tech was the goal for the 810; the front doors are mounted on hidden hinges and open in "Coach" style, two circular flush-mount tail lamps sit in the corners of the trunk lid, and an interior with an engine-turned alloy dashboard panel.
This example boasts an extremely desirable Phaeton body style with an older, but very high-quality restoration with recent servicing that presents beautifully. Finished in Palm Beach Tan, an original color for the 810, over burgundy leather and a convertible top, with oval-shaped glass window and chrome surround, is finished in black broadcloth with burgundy piping. The interior shows just as beautifully; the three-spoke steering wheel's center cap and dash-mounted controls for exterior lights and engine management are color-matched to the exterior. The burgundy leather seats, door panels, armrests, and matching carpets on the flat floor show next to no wear. The complement of gauges in the engine-turned dashboard includes: a 120-mph speedometer, tachometer, oil pressure gauge, water temperature gauge, voltmeter, clock, and controls for the standard equipment radio. Additionally, there is no evidence of brightwork neglect on either bumper, any of the window frames, grille louvers, nor on the grille ring, or gearshift toggle switch. This level of excellence was recognized when it received certification from the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club (Certified Vehicle C-455) and won Antique Automobile Club of America's (AACA) First Prize Junior in 2015.
Cord's 810 is a defining landmark of design, creativity, and engineering breakthroughs among classic cars. It is this singularity that has established it as a staple of museum collections and a car enjoyed by the luckiest collectors for decades. The unique brand identity and "outside the box" thinking has also built a community of owners so tight knit that many recognize the cars left in existence or can say when a car was built and what came before and after it in production. But whether shown as a museum piece or driven and enjoyed for the unique motoring experience, the 810 will always be a unique classic and this example is ready to give the next owner that same experience.
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