Vehicle Description
Henry Portz was one of the elder statesman of the ACD Club, and was
a passionate collector and restorer of Cord automobiles. In the
late 1960s, Portz purchased this car, which needed a full
restoration. It was affectionately referred to as "The Hulk" in
more than one issue of the ACD newsletter during the 1970s. Portz
spent a lifetime accumulating parts for the restoration, which
commenced in the 1980s. The restoration took him 30 years, but the
end result was this very fine Cord Sportsman. Soon after completion
in 2011, well-known collector Jules Huemann and his wife convinced
Henry to sell his car. Huemann then sold the car to a famed Danish
collector. Because of Portz's efforts, this car comes equipped with
scarcely seen Cord factory options. There are no build records from
the factory, so what this car originally came equipped with is
unknown. Henry Portz intended this car to be the best, so no stone
was left unturned to find the most perfect NOS parts and
accessories. This includes factory accessory front Cord emblem
wings, correct vacuum wiper motors, correct beveled mirror, correct
grip-style steering wheel, factory 150 mph speedometer, correct
original keys and a factory accessory Philco radio. The radio is
original with new tubes, vibrator and Cord emblem, and the art-deco
speaker cloth is in good condition. This Cord is powered by a
supercharged 289ci 8-cylinder engine mated to a 4-speed manual
transmission. It is also equipped with a Startix starter, correct
Stromber AA25 carburetor, Air-Maze air cleaner, original mechanical
and hidden electric fuel pumps, and a Cord stainless exhaust system
with factory accessory exhaust cut out. This car is fully restored
and was invited to the 2018 The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering,
representing its first time ever shown. The paint and exterior are
just as they were when restored. The interior was done with the
best available materials from legendary Cord restorer Rick Hewlett.
Due to improper preparation for shipping overseas, the original
engine froze, and a newly restored engine was sourced. The engine
was correctly installed and stamped with full notification to the
ACD Club to match the damaged engine it replaced. The car is now
show-ready, and runs and drives well. The ACD Club featured it on
the cover of one of their newsletters as one of the most
beautifully restored Cords in existence.
