Vehicle Description
To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Fort
Lauderdale event, 6 - 7 April 2018.
Estimates:
$120,000 - $140,000
Offered from a private collectionAttractive Cigarette Cream over
red color schemeRecent freshening and serviceClassic Car Club of
America (CCCA) Full Classic
When the "new Cord" made its debut at the New York Auto Show in
November 1935, it turned the automotive world on its ear. Onlookers
reportedly stood on the roofs of other cars just to catch a glimpse
of Gordon Buehrig's stunningly advanced "new, original, and
ornamental design for an automobile," with its aerodynamic "coffin
nose" louvered hood lacking a traditional radiator shell; its
"step-down" floor; its unitary body construction; its hidden door
hinges; its pop-up headlamps; and its total lack of running
boards.
Underneath was no less innovative, with a Lycoming V-8 running the
front wheels through a four-speed, electrically shifted
pre-selector transmission, which was operated by a "key" off the
steering column; essentially, it was an H-pattern gearshift in
miniature.
Orders for the new Cord flooded the manufacturer's headquarters in
Auburn, Indiana, but the car was not quite ready for production. By
the time cars finally began to be delivered, many impatient
customers had cancelled their orders, and the car that could have
saved the Auburn Automobile Company became its death knell. The new
Cord was only built for two years, and it has since gone down in
history as one of the most beautiful automobiles of its time, being
regularly displayed in art museums as what Buehrig referred to as
"rolling sculpture."
The phaeton offered here has been part of a prominent West Coast
collection for several years. Finished in the factory-correct color
scheme of Cigarette Cream over red, it boasts chassis frame no.
9071 and an original 812 engine, no. FB 2105; though the two were
not born together, the car is composed entirely of original factory
Cord components. It has recently undergone cosmetic work and
service prior to the auction and presents very well overall, with a
handsome and correct appearance.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/FL18.
