For Sale: 1936 Cord Phaeton in Saint Louis, Missouri

The revolutionary Cord 810/812 was born amid the dire economics of the mid-1930s. As sales of prestige cars plummeted, some manufacturers turned to mid-priced companion lines in hopes of bolstering the bottom line. Cadillac enjoyed particular success with the LaSalle, and even Packard experimented with entry-level Junior lines at various times. As the Great Depression wore on, the few remaining buyers with the means were reluctant to flaunt their wealth on cars like the flamboyant and fabulously expensive Duesenberg. Hoping to cash in on the prestige of that famous name while attracting buyers of somewhat more modest means, E.L. Cord suggested a "baby Duesenberg" to enter the competitive mid-priced luxury car market. With design and development underway, the board balked, abandoning the project out of fear that a lower-cost car might cheapen the illustrious Duesenberg name.
Despite grumblings from the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg board, E.L. Cord and designer Gordon Buehrig forged ahead with their idea. If he couldn't call it a Duesenberg, he'd make a dramatic resurgence of Cord Automobiles. Since the demise of the L-29, Cord longed for another car worthy of his surname, and the "Baby Duesenberg" presented the ideal opportunity. Cord pushed his engineers and designers who drew inspiration from multiple sources, including Citroen's revolutionary front-drive Traction Avant. The new Cord would be built upon a semi-monocoque chassis, with front-wheel drive, a pre-selector gearbox, and independent front suspension. Buehrig replaced the traditional upright radiator shell with a series of wrap-around louvers flanked by rounded fenders and flush retractable headlamps - the first automobile so equipped. The squared-off hood resembled a coffin, earning the car its nicknamecoffin-nose Cord.
Lessons learned with the front-drive Cord L-29 allowed engineers to set the body much lower than traditional front-engine/rear-drive vehicles from a rakish, sleek profile. The low body also allowed Buehrig to eliminate external running boards, bringing the door lines fully down the body. The grill-less front end and sleek body styling were breathtakingly futuristic, and are still considered a masterpiece of modern design. Nearly nine decades later, the Cord 810 and 812 stand among the most celebrated designs in history, and a necessity for any serious collection of Classic Era automobiles.
Stunningly presented in black over red leather is this marvelous 1936 Cord 810 Phaeton. This wonderfully restored and lovingly tended car is familiar to many within the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Club as the 'pattern car' for Eric S. Cain's The Cord Machine Shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is a multi-time award winner in ACD Concours competition, earning its 1st Place Senior award in 2007, and 1st Place Senor Emeritus Award in 2008. It was also a CCCA 1st Place, Primary Division, winner at the 2013 CCCA meet in St. Louis, Missouri, and is a veteran of numerous ACD Club Hoosier Tours. Importantly, it is an ACD Club Category 1 Certified Original car, with accompanying certificate #311108 on file.
According to a summary provided by the most recent owner, this car was previously owned by the legendary savior of the Cord marque, Glenn Pray, prior to being acquired by Eric S. Cain, proprietor of The Cord Machine Shop. Using this car for patterns and testing, Mr. Cain produced new parts and components that kept a great many other Cords on the road. The new cylinder heads he developed were engineered and tested on this car. When Cain sold his business to Stan Gilliland of Auburn Cord Parts, Inc, this 810 Phaeton and pile of new parts, were included.
While a body restoration had been started, the car traded hands among Cord enthusiasts. In 1986, the most recent owner acquired it as a body and boxed parts from Ted Ruhlig, and proceeded to perform a multi-year, concours-level restoration, which was finally completed in 2005.
This car, bearing car number 2350-H, was born as a naturally aspirated 810 in 1936, but was subsequently updated during the restoration with a factory original supercharged "FC" engine purchased from Doug Johnson in 1988, and overhauled by Stan Gilliland of Wellington, Kansas between 1999-2002. The body is beautifully restored by Kevin McGinnis & Son of Kansas City, and still looks stunning in black, particularly against the beautifully crafted dark red leather upholstery. The quality of the work and the care it has received since are reflected in the car still looking concours-ready, even after 20 years of use and enjoyment.
The Gordon Buehrig-designed Cord 810 is one of the most iconic and technically advanced American cars of the classic era, and a must have in any serious collection. This wonderful example, with its beautifully finished, desirable open body and supercharged engine, will undoubtedly continue to turn heads, whether that be on the concours lawn or out touring with any number of active clubs like the ACD Club, AACA, or CCCA.

Offers welcome and trades considered.