Vehicle Description
1937 Cord 810 Westchester
The 1937 Cord is counted as the most striking and innovative car of
its time. Mechanically it was way ahead of its peers. Cord was the
first mass-production auto offered with front-wheel drive. The
elimination of the rear drive train allowed the car to be so low,
running boards were unnecessary. It also featured an "alligator"
style hood hinged at the rear, "coffin" front-end styling,
concealed door hinges, and teardrop shaped fenders. The
disappearing headlights are individually raised and lowered by
hand-cranks located on the dash in front of the driver and
passenger. Many of these features influenced other manufacturers'
designs in the years ahead. When it was unveiled at the New York
Auto Show in November 1935, this car caused a sensation.
Unfortunately, with so many new features that had not been
adequately tested in advance, the Cord gained a reputation for
being gorgeous, but unreliable. Thanks to the Heritage Museum for
the info.
For consignment, mix of street rod with a healthy dose of class in
the form of a 1937 Cord 810 Westchester. The body is a homologation
of Cord and Graham Hollywood parts and has many modern-day features
within this car's design, and more so now with the street rodded
touch. Built in our consignor's garage with all new or rebuilt
mechanicals and such niceties as heat and air conditioning, this
classy rodder is a stunner to say the least. Complete records and
receipts for the parts involved in this build are included with the
purchase, as are some photos of the build. Very stylish, very low
to the ground and just a beautiful line throughout, this car is
barely broken in with only 200 miles on the new crate engine. Isn't
it time you set the street rod world on its roof with this Cord?
You're sure not to lose it in the field of Fords and
Chevrolets....lesser marquis...how pedestrian!
Exterior
The Model 810/812 are probably the best-known of the company's
products. Styled by Gordon M. Buehrig, this car originally featured
front-wheel drive, having front drive enabled the model 810 to be
built so low, to render running boards unnecessary. Something not
often seen in the mid 1930s. The car caused a sensation at the New
York Auto Show in November 1935. Orders were taken at the show with
Cord promising Christmas delivery, expecting production of 1,000
per month. Production delays pushed the expected delivery date to
February 1936. This still proved optimistic - the first production
vehicles were actually delivered in April. In all, Cord managed to
sell only 1,174 of the new 810 in its first model year. The car is
well known for its flat front nose with a horizontal louvered
grille design instead of the common radiator-style grille, that
made its nose resemble a coffin, earning it the nickname of "Coffin
Nose". This combined with the hidden headlights, (the original
lamps were Stinson landing lights), within the pontoon like fenders
and long flat area beneath the nose and fenders, it is a very
unusual design but nonetheless striking. A split windscreen which
is swept rearward, meets up with the rounded roofline that melts
into the back of the car via a split rear half oval back glass. The
rear fenders, also pontoon inspired, meet up with the downward
sloping trunk deck and end up on top of the rear bumper. 15-inch
chromed and polished steel wheels are rolled and wrapped with wide
whitewall tires. The condition of the exterior surfaces is nearly
flawless in regards to the laser straight gaps and depth of the
Mitsubishi Tampa Blue Metallic paint as well as the mirror-like
chrome plating. Our consignor notes that the body is a mix of Cord
and Graham parts, and in all honesty the only Graham parts my
trained eye can see are the front doors, as Cord doors did not come
equipped with vent windows.
Interior
Inside, clean tan leather covers most all surfaces including the
lovely door panels. The doors are suicide doors with the latch in
the front of the door, and these doors have hidden hinges something
else not seen in other cars of this era. Shiny window cranks and an
actuator along with painted Tampa Blue frames and chocolate brown
carpeting and piping gives an expensive look. Inside a front bench,
also in tan leathersits in a leather upholstered curved arm tub.
Chocolate brown piping and a smooth bolster separates the seat from
the fronts. In the back, accessible by another set of doors, the
sprawling rear bench matches the front seat and is surrounded by
more tan that rises to the ceiling panels and surrounds the window
of the rear glass. More piping in chocolate brown and some clean
brown carpeting is noted in the back. The headliner is tan with
stitched ribs where the panels come together. The dash is in body
matching Tampa blue with a large machined swirl pattern panel to
house the round Autometer instruments and Vintage AC and heat
controls. Everything inside presents as nearly new and the shifter
is now on the banjo wheel topped adjustable column.
Drivetrain
Lurking under the "Coffin Hood" is by far not the original 288ci
Lycoming V8 named after the company out of Williamsport,
Pennsylvania that also manufactured aircraft and automobile
engines. The beginning of the rod end of this build lurks front and
center and presents in the form of a 350ci Chevrolet V8 with less
than 200 miles logged. It has been fitted with ribbed and polished
valve covers and a Holley 4-barrel carburetor atop the Dart
Sportsman aluminum intake manifold. A brushed stainless cereal bowl
type air cleaner lid sits overtop the carburetor and we note supple
hoses and cleanly run wiring. A rebuilt TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission is bolted to the back and long gone is the front wheel
drive as we are in 10 bolt axle rear wheel drive territory now.
Undercarriage
Clean, black, structurally solid and like new for the flooring,
suspension and unibody with only very minor road dirt and very
little surface rust. A new fuel tank and lines are installed and
handling the exhale are headers and dual exhaust with Flow FX
mufflers by Flowmaster. A Mustang II front suspension with 2" drop
spindles, power rack and pinion steering and power disc brakes are
up front and in the back we see leaf springs and power drums.
Drive-Ability
She started right and off to the test track I went. This car is
interesting to drive as it combines the look and feel of the
original 810 Westchester with the modern amenities of a street rod.
With a twist of the key the mighty V8 roared to life and I movedthe
shifter to drive and we were off like a prom dress. The car shifted
smoothly, had biasfree firm braking and rode beautifully. All
functions were operating just fab during my drive, although backing
up takes a bit of talent due to the small rear window and even
smaller mirrors.
A very interesting car of which not too many were sold due to the
depression. Plenty of stars of the era had a Cord, mostly the ones
that had the side pipes emanating from the side hood cowl. This one
is a very clean design, with hidden headlights that need cranked
but do rise to the occasion and embodies all the Cord styling that
the upper crust was so in love with. Our consignor did a wonderful
job of blending new and old to create a reliable rolling piece of
art with just about every modern convenience one could want, now
residing in our South mallway and awaiting your star studded
arrival...be sure to call ahead so we can roll out the red carpet
for you!
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale
with showroom sp...for more information please contact the seller.
