To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Arizona
event, 17 - 18 January 2019.
Estimate:
$250,000 - $300,000
- Offered from the Richard L. Burdick Collection
- Award-winner in Auburn Cord Duesenberg (ACD) Club and Classic
Car Club of America (CCCA) competition
- High-quality, well-preserved restoration in stunning
colors
- ACD Club Category 1 Certified
In 1929, industrialist E.L. Cord introduced the mighty Duesenberg
Model J, advertised as "The World's Finest Motorcar." But he also
showcased a new car, a testbed for radically new automotive
innovations, much like Preston Tucker would do 20 years later. This
was the Cord L-29, the first front-wheel-drive car sold to the
American public. Its long, low, sleek appearance was popular for
its styling and superb handling, but it was only a start. For four
years he collaborated with his engineers and designers, including
Duesenberg styling genius Gordon Buehrig. Features for the new car
included a pre-selector transmission (later used in the Tucker),
hidden fuel-filler door, independent front suspension, no running
boards, pontoon fenders, disappearing headlights, radio,
variable-speed windshield wipers, and a wrap-around chrome grille.
The most trend-setting American car in history, the Cord 810, was
born. Many of its design innovations would not become standard on
other makes for decades.
Introduced in late 1935 at the New York Auto Show, the 810 created
a sensation. Crowds around it were so deep that people were forced
to stand on other display cars just to get a glimpse. Deliveries
began in 1936, but the Depression finally caught up to the Cord
empire and 1937 was to be the final model year. During this time,
the cars (now designated Model 812) were available for the first
and only time with an optional supercharger, which boosted power to
almost 200 hp. The supercharged cars could also be fitted with
magnificent outside exhaust pipes, giving the car its most iconic
look. At the height of the Depression, sadly, few could afford this
luxury.
Presented here is an "ultimate-spec" Cord, the supercharged
Cabriolet, informally known as the "Sportsman." Just 64 were
originally produced; perhaps a third of them remain today. Although
correctly restored many years ago by noted specialist George
Ehresman, this example comprises authentic parts from several cars,
most noticeably the installation of a supercharged engine. All the
relevant details were confirmed by Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club
historians at the time that the car received its Category 1
Certification. The end result is of high caliber, such that the car
has received Classic Car Club awards over three decades: Primary
First in 1979, medallion 0882, for then-owner William DiCiurcio,
and a Senior Division First in 2010 for Henry Antoniolli. It also
won the Gordon Buehrig Award for Best 810/812 Cord at the 1981 ACD
Club National Reunion in Auburn, Indiana.
Presenting very well, the restoration shows only minor age; the
maroon paint is very good, and the leather seating is without
significant wear, but does show use. It is equipped with a correct
radio and heater, plus Fog King fog lights with Cord badges. It is
clean throughout, particularly in the engine bay, and shows some
800 miles on the odometer.
This supercharged Cord is every bit what it aspires to be - a
beautifully restored example of the classic body style, finished to
the ultimate specification.To view this car and others currently
consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/az19.
