Vehicle Description
When the Auburn Automobile Company was facing an ever growing well
of red ink in 1924, they realized they needed to make a drastic
maneuver in order to move a glut of unsold inventory� if they had
any hopes of saving the firm. Auburns were quality cars, but they
were also staid and somewhat boring in the face of their
competition. The board at Auburn hired a hotshot young salesman;
E.L. Cord with the task of turning around their fortunes. Cord was
an Auburn distributor and entrepreneur and his solution to unsold
stock was as genius as it was simple. A natural showman, he simply
repainted the bland Auburns in bright new colors and marketed them
in retail spaces around the country. His elegant plan saved the
company and as a reward, he was offered a place in management. But
Cord's ambition was much higher, and rather than accept the job, he
decided full control over the company was a better deal. By1928, he
was in complete control of Auburn and had begun to amass an
impressive manufacturing empire that included eventually Auburn,
Lycoming Engines, Checker Cab, Duesenberg, Stinson Aircraft and New
York Shipbuilders, among others. Having re-invented Auburn as a
leader in stylish and quality automobiles, Cord decided to add a
car worthy of his own name - one that would compete with the likes
of Lincoln, Packard and Stutz. In typical E.L. Cord fashion, he
eschewed tradition and specified a car that was both innovative and
beautiful. The L-29, as it became known, was a sleek and gloriously
low slung machine, thanks to its front wheel drive and a De Dion
front axle arrangement which allowed the body to be mounted very
low on the chassis. �The project was spearheaded by an ex-Miller
engineer who had vast experience with front-drive. The L-29 shared
the 301 cubic inch Lycoming straight eight with Auburn, but with
engine and three-speed transmission turned 180 degrees. The forward
mounted transmission meant no tunnel was needed, and the body could
be mounted low in the chassis, with a flat floor for additional
passenger comfort. Performance was adequate, and thanks to the low
center of gravity, handling was quite impressive. Designers took
full advantage of the low body height, gracing the L-29 with an
array of fabulously rakish bodies. Only 4,400 L-29s were sold
between 1929 and 1932, and it remains a highly collectible icon of
the Classic Era. This truly stunning 1931 L-29 Cabriolet wears a
recent and extremely high-quality restoration and remains in fresh,
show quality condition. The known history of this wonderful car
begins in 1946 when it was purchased for a mere $750 by a Mr.
Huffey of Cincinnati, Ohio. Several short term owners followed
until 1953 when it was purchased by Jerry Fisher, also of Ohio. It
remained with Fisher for some time until reappearing in 1969 when
Hubert Wood of South Charleston, Ohio acquired it and performed an
amateur-level restoration, as was quite common for the time. A new
owner was found in 1980, which proceeded to drive the car to his
private museum in the western United States. In 2013, the car was
purchased by its last owner, and a full and comprehensive
restoration was undertaken. The Cord was completely disassembled
and every component carefully stripped with preservation of
original parts a priority. The chassis, springs and axles were
stripped and painted or powder coated. The body was carefully
restored using as much of the original sheet metal as possible,
with the structural wood work being replaced as needed. A striking
color combination was chosen with deep maroon main body and fenders
accented by black stripes and black painted wire wheels. The wheels
are wrapped in blackwall tires (including the dual sidemount
spares) lending the car a magnificently sporty and aggressive look.
The paint quality is gorgeous, with very high quality metal work
and a deep beautiful gloss. The chrome trim was similarly restored
to a show-quality standard and has been expertly refitted. The
cabriolet body style features a two-seat cockpit up front, with
room for two occasional passengers in the rumble seat. As part of
the restoration, new black leather was fitted to the seats and door
cards using original works patterns. The leather is piped in dark
red to complement the exterior with dramatic effect. Rear
passengers are treated to the same high-quality upholstery in the
rumble seat. L-29s have a magnificent dash design, with beautifully
ornate panels inset into the fascia and a distinctive shift lever
sprouting from the dash. This car had the instruments and dash
panel fully restored to the same high level as the exterior with
exquisitely detailed switchgear, textured panels and intricate
dials. A new black canvas top, subtly stitched in red, has been
fitted to a renewed top frame with new wooden bows and restored
metal components. The big Lycoming inline eight-cylinder engine was
fully rebuilt with new Babbit bearings, as well as new pistons,
rings and shell bearings. It also received a new camshaft and the
crankshaft was polished and balanced while the cylinder block was
bored, honed and the head planed. The resulting engine is strong
and exceptionally smooth, supported by freshly rebuilt cooling and
charging systems. Concurrently, the transmission was carefully
cleaned, inspected, resealed and re-installed with a new clutch and
pressure plate. Upon reassembly, the engine assembly was correctly
painted and beautifully detailed with newly plated hardware and
correct fittings and wiring. A truly stunning automobile, this L-29
Cabriolet is one of the most desirable of the breed. This example
still wears its original engine, original body as well as original
body number and serial number tags. An unrestored original trunk
rack is also included. This extremely high quality restoration done
in fabulous colors makes this breathtaking Cord a very worthy
candidate for show at virtually any important event.