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 | — | Naturally aspirated; 125 bhp. |
| 812 | 1937 | — | 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 more accessible. For vintage cars, event eligibility — Mille Miglia, Goodwood Revival, Pebble Beach, VSCC events, Le Mans Classic — can underwrite a substantial proportion of market value. Verify FIA/FIVA papers, period race history where claimed, and the car's standing with the relevant marque registry before purchase.
Regional ranges authored independently — each reflects its local market, not an FX conversion
Vintage cars require disciplined preventive maintenance: lubrication regimes, magneto service, carburettor synchronisation, brake adjustment, and timber and trim conservation. A car used regularly and serviced annually by a specialist will outlast a stored example neglected for decades.
Strong US ACD Club support; specialist mechanical shops in the Midwest. Confirm the availability of marque specialists, period-correct fasteners, coachwork trim, instruments and tyres before committing. A car requiring fabricated one-off parts will absorb time and cost that a similar example with active specialist support will not.
Each region quoted in its local currency — independent market readings, not FX conversions
Supercharged Phaetons firm; sedans accessible. Increasingly recognised as the design landmark they are.
| Date | Auction | Car | Mileage | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-08-16 | RM Sotheby's Monterey | 1937 812 SC Phaeton | — | $324,000 Sold |
Design significance and finite production. Convertibles likely to firm further.
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