Gordon Buehrig's coffin-nose Cord — front-wheel drive, hidden headlamps and Art Deco design from 1936 America.
The Cord 810 (1936) and supercharged 812 (1937) were Gordon Buehrig's defining design — front-wheel drive (years ahead of mainstream adoption), hidden headlamps cranked up from the front fenders, an electric pre-selector gearbox and clean Art Deco bodywork. Powered by a 4,729cc Lycoming V8 producing 125 bhp (170 bhp with the Schwitzer-Cummins centrifugal supercharger on the 812), with body styles including the Westchester and Beverly sedans, Phaeton (4-door convertible) and Sportsman cabriolet. Around 2,320 cars were built before Cord ceased production in 1937.
Among the most influential American designs of the 20th century; in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
| Variant | Years | Production | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 810 | 1936 | Not separately recorded | Naturally aspirated; 125 bhp. |
| 812 | 1937 | Not separately recorded | Supercharged 170 bhp option. |
For pre-war and vintage cars such as the Cord 810 / 812, provenance is paramount. Chassis and engine number matching, period coachbuilder records, factory build sheets where available, continuous ownership documentation, original handbooks and any competition or concours history are the foundation of value. Supercharged 812 specification, convertible body style, originality, Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Club documentation.
Lycoming V8 is robust; the Bendix electric pre-selector gearbox and front-wheel drive system require specialist familiarity. Supercharger requires careful set-up. A pre-purchase inspection by a recognised marque specialist should include compression and leak-down testing, magneto and ignition checks, chassis straightness and frame survey, axle and steering wear assessment, brake system review (mechanical or hydraulic per period), and an extended road test on varied terrain to expose carburation, cooling and gearbox issues that only emerge under sustained running.
Pre-war coachwork is rarely truly original after a century of use. Establish whether the body is original to the chassis (period photographs, build records, coachbuilder plates), whether it has been re-bodied at any point, and the standard of any restoration. Quality of timber framing, ash health, panel beating and paint depth are all critical. Concealed structural rot, re-bodies presented as original, and 'tribute' cars built on later or unrelated chassis must be priced accordingly.
Supercharged 812 Phaeton and Sportsman convertibles lead; sedans are the more accessible route in. CCCA Full Classic status underpins eligibility for CARavan tours and major concours including Pebble Beach and Amelia Island, and the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club's Reunion at Auburn each Labor Day weekend is the marque's own reference event. Confirm the car's standing with the ACD Club and its concours history before purchase.
| Date | Auction | Car | Mileage | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-05 | Gooding Christie's Amelia Island Auctions, Lot 31 | 1936 Cord 810 Convertible Phaeton | — | $173,600 Sold |
| 2025-10-08 | RM Sotheby's Hershey, Lot 297 | 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Cabriolet | — | $209,000 Sold |
| 2025-01-24 | RM Sotheby's Arizona, Lot 184 | 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged 'Sportsman' Cabriolet | — | $489,000 Sold |
| 2023-03-02 | Gooding Christie's The Amelia Island Auction, Lot 118 | 1937 Cord 812 S/C Cabriolet 'Sportsman' | — | $412,000 Sold |
Design significance and finite production. Convertibles likely to firm further.
Our view, not advice. This section is Car Collector International's editorial judgement on where this model sits in the collector market, based on the production, specification and market data set out in this guide. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell and it is not investment advice. Values can fall as well as rise.
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The valuation figures in this guide are for research purposes only and do not constitute financial or investment advice. See our full disclaimer.
