∙Incredibly rare model - fewer than 3,000 built
∙Incredible restored condition 
∙Extensive, documented history

Cord, if you're not familiar with the name, was the luxury division of the Auburn Automobile Company. Here, Gordon M. Buehrig and his team of designers were positively encouraged to let their ideas run wild and free. Nothing was off limits. All ideas were encouraged, and as such, some remarkable cars happened. Cars like the Cord 810 and the car you’re looking at here, a Cord 812. That ‘2’ is significant, because it means this incredibly handsome beast is in fact supercharged. 

A car of firsts, it was the first American-designed and built front-wheel drive car, it had independent front suspension and it was the first car to feature hidden headlights. It was also a clever car. Power came from a 4,739cc Lycoming V8, which had electric start via the clutch (depress the clutch with ignition on, it starts the engine and disengages the starter when you lift off the clutch). It featured a four-speed (three plus overdrive) pre-select transmission with synchro on first and second. This, the 812 model, came with a mechanically-driven Schwitzer-Cummins supercharger mounted to the top of the intake - this upped power from 125hp to 170hp. It was, make no mistake, a hot rod. But one with effortless style, grace and utterly captivating lines.

There isn’t a great deal of information to hand about the Cord’s time in the USA. That said, from the paperwork we can deduce it was a New York car, which is fitting, as this bruiser would look right at home on Broadway, but we digress. The car was imported to the UK in 1990, and from a letter included in the paperwork, we can see that the car was described as being in excellent condition. Rare to begin with, this is perhaps even more special given it’s the seldom seen Westchester Sedan version - a flowing, sleek four-door sedan. 

During the intervening period, the ravages of time caught up with the car, and so in 2011 it was subject to a complete and highly detailed restoration. We’ll cover the specifics in the next section, but suffice to say that barely any nut or bolt was left untouched in the process. Being such a rare, specialised car, it was a massive undertaking. But, as you can see from the pictures of how the car stands today, it was worth the effort. 

The Original UK owner from 1990 sadly passed away in 2019, whereupon his nephew with the same name inherited the car. After being used for a year of shows and events, he subsequently sold it in July 2020 to the current owner. And while said current owner adores this rare, beautiful machine, the reality is that the car hasn’t benefited from the kind of use it deserves -  instead it has been largely hidden away in a warm, dry garage. Now though, it’s time for someone else to become the lucky owner. Running, driving, in excellent condition and health - this has to be one of the finest Cord 812s in the world. And it could be yours.

There is a veritable raft of paperwork to go with this Cord, and most of it relates to the extensive restoration that was carried out in 2011, as well as some follow-up work carried out in 2014 by the same specialist - Moorland Classics. 

Over 2011 and into 2012, the Cord was completely restored. The body was stripped back, all parts were removed, along with all the mechanical elements including the engine and transmission. The body was sanded back and repaired where needed, while the underside was treated to new custom-fabricated panels to stop rust. The door bottoms - both inner and outer - were cut out and remade. The rear valance was cut out and remade, as were outer sills and inner sills. All repairs were rust-proofed and completed to an impeccable standard before the car was given its coat of gloss black. 

As well we all know, black is a harsh mistress when it comes to cars, and will quickly and indiscriminately highlight every little flaw and issue. Happily though, there is very little for it to exploit on this Cord. The paint is mirror smooth, and not one whisper of a repair can been seen. 

The engine was not just removed, but also rebuilt, and there are invoices to support this. A complete rebuild at that, which required some expert correspondence, given that there is no workshop manual for this machine. Said correspondence is in the history file. 

There are past MOTs, there are letters from previous owners about the car’s importation into the UK, there are printed information sheets for when the car has been out and about at shows and of course, there is a V5 ready for your signature. As for MOT, the Cord is exempt, so there isn’t one in place. However, the condition it’s in means getting one - should you wish - will be no issue.

Plush. That’s the best adjective to throw at this Cord’s innards. A giddy collection of turned metal, chrome, and much in the way of purple cloth. The seats, both front and back, have been retrimmed in the past and as such, are in excellent condition. The doors cards, trimmed in the same fabric, also show very little in the way of age. When you slide in behind that big steering wheel, the condition of your surroundings do not strike you as being eighty-four years of age. 

The dash is awash with information - something that made this car special. Gauges for everything. There is some slight blistering to the paint within some, but it doesn’t impact function, and it’s a nice nod to the car’s age. To the left and right of the dash, there are fold-out crank handles. Brilliantly, these are wound and unwound to expose the headlights. 

The carpets are excellent, and there is even the factory plaque in place that states it was tested at 110.8mph before shipment! Not even a modern day Ferrari gets that! Elsewhere in the cabin, all the door furniture works as it should, as do all the windows. The headlining is excellent and tight as a drum, all the window seals are good, as are the door rubbers and door hinges and latches. 

Sitting in this Cord brings about a sense of theatre. It’s a wonderfully, somewhat surreal environment full of impressive luxury and remarkable comfort. But, lovely though it is to be within this Cord, it’s nothing compared to what waits outside... 

As we touched on earlier, the paintwork of this Cord is exceptional. Now a decade old, it’s still slick and deep and shows no major defects or issues. There is a small hairline crack at the tee of the upper nearside B-pillar, but that’s all we could see. The rest is simply stunning and beautifully presented. 

The Cord was seen as being something of a car of the future. The headlights, with their fold-away design were a first. The Cord also boasted things we take for granted now, like a hidden fuel filler and hidden door, bonnet and boot hinges. It was a smooth, elegant design that its peers simply couldn’t match. 

The 812 version was notable by it’s big, glittering exhausts that stuck out from each side of the long nose. These exhausts are still in glorious condition. So too is the rest of the chrome, all polished to a high shine and free from any significant corrosion or pitting. The ‘coffin nose’ grille is beautiful, with arrow-straight vanes and bright chrome. 

The wheels, with their thick whitewall tyres and bright chrome hubcaps all look excellent, and certainly serve to finish off the aesthetic of this rare machine. It’s just a fantastic looking thing with nothing significant to report in terms of negatives. Certainly, if you could take it back to 1937, nobody would think of it as being anything but a new car.

Having been completely rebuilt in the past, the 4,739cc Lycoming V8 is in rude health. It starts on the button and iddles with a surprisingly restrained burble. The icing on the cake, however, is the gentle chirp of the Schwitzer-Cummins mechanical supercharger as it spins up with the engine. It’s not an ‘in your face’ affair, it’s restrained power. Classy, you might say. 

The engine pulls strong and clean, with no noises, no rattles nor any untoward smoke or such. The odometer reads around 2,600 miles, but as it’s only a five-digit unit, the reality is a hair over 100k. In fact, the current owner suggests that the mileage that the car has covered on UK soil may be as little as 1074, given that the original UK owner kept the car in his private collection and it was exhibited fairly infrequently at car shows. However, given there is paperwork to support the rebuilding of the engine, the transmission, the suspension and the brakes, the mileage is moot. It feels sharp and tight, or at least as much as two-tonne American car can!  

The starting procedure takes some getting used to. Ignition on, depress the clutch, the engine starts, release the clutch and the starter disengages. The pre-select four-speed transmission also takes some mastery, especially with the little H-pattern selector sticking out from the side of the steering column. It requires a gentle finesse, not a heavy-handed approach. Once you get it though, this Cord is an utter oy to drive. It soaks up the road ahead with ease and with eagerness. Though be warned, everyone - and we do mean everyone - will stare, open-jawed, as you burble by. And rightly so!

It may be blunt to say so, but the truth is this - find another. You won’t, not here in the UK. And even if you do, will it be as good, or as well-restored as this one? The chances are, probably not. This 1937 Cord has been restored and maintained in such a way that unlike other surviving examples, this one can be used. In fact, that’s why this one is available to bid on - it needs to go to someone who can enjoy it. It’s running, driving and ready to go. It’s a design icon, a poster child for what American car designers could do when let off the leash. It is, in the world of the motorcar, hugely significant. But more than that, it’s truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. But as ever, that’s only the case if you bid...