To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' The Guyton
Collection event, 4 - 5 May 2019.
Estimate:
$150,000 - $200,000
- One of the most famous and important designs of its era
- Formerly owned by Dr. Elwood Greist and Jim Miller
- Well-presented restoration in wonderful colors
- Equipped with its original engine
- Ideal for CARavans and Auburn Cord Duesenberg (ACD) Club
activities
- Classic 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.
Today the Cord 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 Guyton 810 phaeton is listed in the well-known books of Josh B.
Malks, The Timeless Classic and Cord Complete, as being delivered
with this engine, no. FB 1865, and phaeton body no. C 91 455. Its
earliest known owner was C.W. Kimbell of Bell, California, who
advertised it in the Los Angeles Times on 31 May 1964. By 1971 it
had side exhaust fitted and was owned by Earnest A. Wright of San
Juan Capistrano, who exhibited it over the next several years in
ACD Club competition, achieving its First Senior award and the Tom
Mix Award for Best Cord at the West Coast Meet in 1978.
Mr. Wright sold the Cord to Dr. Elwood "Bud" Greist, a longtime
Auburn and Cord enthusiast in Livermore, California. In Mr.
Greist's ownership the phaeton continued its show-going ways,
appearing at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and at many other
ACD Club meets on the West Coast. It remained in his care until
1987, and was later part of the noted Ontario collection of the
late Jim Miller, highly respected for his eye for excellence and
quality.
Fred Guyton acquired the Cord from an owner in Michigan in 2008,
and it has been part of his fine collection alongside other
Auburns, Cords, and Duesenbergs for over a decade. Its restoration
is well maintained and very attractive, with the finishes under the
hood appearing largely authentic, and the top, hard to get "right"
on these cars, properly stitched and fitted. Accessory Cord driving
lights and a Cord Delco radio are fitted, and the car is
accompanied by several pieces of Cord literature, including a
reprinted owner's manual and bound copy of the Factory Service
Bulletins.
This is a lovely, well-kept example of a truly iconic design.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/gc19.
