It ’s been said that one can avoid literary criticism only by saying nothing , doing nothing , and being nothing . Errett Lobban Cord invalidate those booby trap and was criticized a lot .
He jumped from car salesman in 1924 , to Chief Executive and chief stockholder of Auburn in 1926 . At geezerhood 31 , he was the youngest Chief Executive of an American auto manufacturer . By the early ' 30s he ’d also acquired Duesenberg and many other endeavor .
His method acting was only too clear : plunge large amounts of coarse blood line until its value was so low that he could corrupt contain shares for a song . Cord ’s empire include air power , cargo ships , taxicabs , among other interests .
While distracted by these other speculation , Cord ’s motorcar company suffered . Heavy losses forced Cord to sell his holdings in 1937 . automobile product was the first to be close down by the new owner . Some enthusiasts have never really forgive him for that .
During 10 long time of bicyclist - dealer achiever , E.L. Cord was behind some of the most - splendid cars ever built . In 1928 , he usher in the beautiful Auburn Speedster . The following class introduce the mighty Duesenberg Model J and the Cord L-29 . The last prove less than hoped for , but it lead to the 1936 - 37 Cord 810/812 , one of the most - memorable and influential cars of all prison term .
The ungoverned optimism of the late ' twenty prompted many new models and a few new makes to fill specific market niches . E.L. Cord decide to fill the cost break between his eight - piston chamber Auburns and alien Duesenbergs with a rakish new car bear his own name and the then - novel feature of front - bicycle drive .
The result L-29 was in the main engineered by slipstream - car constructor Harry Miller and one Cornelius Van Ranst , both avid advocator of " horse cavalry - pulls - cart . " Its powerplant began as the 298.6 - three-dimensional - inch Auburn straight eight , but ended up quite unlike .
For the Cord ’s front private road it had to be mounted backward so that clutch and infection could face fore . The piston chamber head was alter to put the water outlet up front , and the crankcase was modified for a rear engine mount . According to one Cord authority , the L-29 engine had over 70 unique share . Advertised at 125 horsepower , its literal yield was 115 until 1932 when a big bore increase HP to a truthful 125 .
Sending its power to the front wheels was a three - speed slide - pinion gearbox mounted behind the differential as on a Miller - designed 1927 Indianapolis racer . Front brake were mount inboard , against the differential or else of on the wheels . This reduced unsprung weightiness for improved drive and handling . Quarter - elliptic leaf natural spring appeared fore , semielliptics aft , Houdaille - Hershey shock absorber all around . driveshaft employed premium Cardan unceasing - velocity universal reefer .
This layout was not without problems . The main one was excessive drivetrain duration that dictated a tremendous 137.5 - inch wheelbase , yet put more than one-half of the gondola ’s free weight over the rearward wheel – where it did nothing for grip on hills , wintry roads , or crushed rock surfaces .
tough , the U - joints could n’t stand braking , plus the hammer of wheels that drove as well as steered , and they wore out with merciless frequency . Though these problems could have been lap with time , Cord was adamant that the elevator car launching before 1930 ( which it did , though only by six calendar month ) .
But , oh , what that layout did for looks . The super - long front allowed Auburn tribal chief designer Al Leamy ( with assist from body technologist John Oswald ) to craft a flow hood / fenders ensemble that only accent that impressive duration and the lowness conferred by front - wheel driveway . Capping the front end was a sheetmetal grille completely hold in the radiator – an industry first .
In all , the L-29 looked sensory in its four " factory " body type : sedan , brougham , phaeton , and cabriolet , all supplied by subsidiary Cord society . Numerous celebrities bought L-29s , and coachbuilders at home and overseas created arresting customs bodies . Standard theoretical account were fairly priced in the $ 3100-$3300 range , so the L-29 should have been a achiever .
It was n’t . Even without the pitiable traction and U - joint woes , front drive was an unproved commodity and thus a tough sell in the conservative $ 3000 mart . And later 1929 was scarce the best time to plunge any car , what with Wall Street types launching themselves out of window .
Furthermore , compared to contemporary Packards , Lincolns , and Cadillacs , the L-29 was a slug . Its 0 - 60 time was around 25 seconds , top speed barely 75 miles per hour . One writer euphemistically termed this " pleasant tepidity , " and it was almost forgivable give the smart as a whip styling .
But there was no way the L-29 could make money . It thus limped along through 1932 with virtually no changes . Total production came to 5010 . By 1935 , one used - car guide listed the John Cash time value of the L-29 sofa bed at just $ 145 . Although a nonstarter in its metre , the L-29 has since been wide appreciated – including enfranchisement as a Classic by the Classic Car Club of America .
For more on defunct American machine , see :
1936 Cord 810, 1937 Cord 812
After three years in limbo , the Cord name repay in 1936 on a dashing and predictive new car , the 810 . This simulation retained front - cycle drive , but with a big difference .
Where the L-29 had a long straight eight behind the transmission and mounted both far behind the front axle , the 810 used a V-8 that was half as long and could thus sit just aft of the axle ; its differential / clutch fabrication extended frontwards to the contagion , which was located slightly in the lead of the axle . The results were much right system of weights distribution and grip than in the L-29 , abetted by a trimmer joist 125 - column inch wheelbase .
Advanced features burst in the 810 . Front suspension , for instance , comprise independent trailing sleeve link up by a single cross leaf give . The transmission had four forward-moving ratios instead of the usual three , plus Bendix " Electric Hand " preselector . With this , you first chose the desired train via a switchlike lever on an annex of the steering pillar , then shifted by stab the clutch .
The 810 V-8 was a 288.6 - cid unit made by Lycoming , another of Cord ’s company . This take 125 HP , which was good , but an useable Schwitzer - Cummins motor supercharger ( standardized to former Auburns ) swelled that to an heart - spread out 170 . The total was soon 190 via a higher - encouragement cetacean mammal . Standard 810s would reach 90 mph and run 0 - 60 in 20 seconds . The top-notch - charged version would do 110 miles per hour and reach 60 in 11 - 13 seconds – one of the fastest production cars in prewar America .
But performance seems almost subaltern next to 810 styling , the body of work of Gordon Buehrig , wait on by Dale Cosper , Dick Robertson , and Paul Laurenzen . Initially conceptualize for a stillborn " sister Duesenberg , " it was unforgettable : swimmingly formed " casket - olfactory organ " hood , striking wraparound horizontal louvers alternatively of a radiator , minimal trimming , pontoon fender , and , on blown model , racy exposed exhaust pipe .
Concealed headlamp flipped up when needed ( via manual cranks ) – another industry first . as futuristic for the clip were a building block - body structure , front - opening hoodlum , separate license - plate light , full rack covers , and concealed flatulency cap . Inside were a turned - metallic element dash awash in phonograph needle caliber and a ceiling - mounted radio talker ( sedan ) . astonishingly , Buehrig cobble up many appearance items from proprietary bits and pieces , including some Auburn leftovers .
Like the L-29 , the 810 bow with four manakin : Westchester and Beverly sedans ( upholstery normal were the chief difference ) and two - seat Cabriolet and four - passenger Phaeton convertibles . Prices , however , were much low : as small as $ 2000 . terms were hiked some $ 500 for 1937 ’s little - changed 812 assembly line , which impart two long sedans on a 132 - inch wheelbase , the Custom Beverly and Custom Berline , price at $ 2,960-$3,575 .
deplorably , the 810/812 had even more problem than the L-29 . This reflected the tight - languish luck of the Cord Corporation that dictated a shoelace budget , price - reduce applied science in position , and too much hand labor movement for consistent or even adept build quality . Not that any of this mattered in the end . E.L. Cord ’s conglomerate break down in 1937 , and the Cord automobile followed Auburn and Duesenberg down the road to oblivion .
Though the L-29 was long ignored by collector , the 810/812 began apprize in economic value almost immediately after production ended ( at 1629/1278 unit ) . As with Duesenberg Js and Auburn Speedsters , peerless styling would be a motivation for several postwar revival try and shoddy replica , but none would have even the original ’s modest succeeder .
