1937 Cord 812 SC Convertible Coupe

The ACD Newsletter recently ran an article entitled “Cord Shifting for Dummies” with emphasis on gear-changing techniques

by John Apen

E. L. Cord was a master salesman who acquired Auburn in 1928 after saving it from bankruptcy by unloading about 700 sedans languishing on the lot. He spiffed up the orphans with bright paint schemes and applied his considerable sales talent to move them. His reward was the company, which he revitalized. In 1929 he took Auburn to the next step, introducing the front-wheel-drive Cord L-29 with low-slung sporting styling. He also bought Duesenberg and Lycoming engines to add to his portfolio of 156 transportation-related companies. He tied them all together with his holding company, the Chicago-based Cord Corporation. In the early ’30s a product intended to be a “Baby Duesenberg” became the basis for a new medium-priced front-wheel drive car, the Cord 810. The 810 was intended to restore Auburn to health with style, performance, and reasonable cost. Gordon Buehrig’s clean, coffin-nosed, retractable-headlight design was a sensation at its 1935 New York Auto...