This
auction will be of interest to a collector who has been looking for a closed
Cord restored to highest standards. I’ll
dispense with a long, detailed history of the Cord 810/812 because any
interested, qualified bidder will have already done his/her research. The fact that the car is an original
Supercharged Westchester and therefore rare should make it even more
interesting. The flat-back Westchester is the purest expression of Gordon
Buehrig’s original design.
The car
was restored over an eleven-year period, ending in 2010. It has been shown
three times. In 2009 (before completion) it received First Place Primary award
at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club Reunion. In 2010 it was awarded First Place
Senior at the Reunion. It received the Bridgestone Best Interior award in 2010
at the EyesOn Design Show at the Edsel Ford Estate. The Concours d’Elegance of
America at St. John’s (formerly Meadowbrook) has invited and accepted it for
2012. A new owner will be able to show the car there in July, should they
choose to do so.
Some of
the people involved in the restoration include:
Janousek
Classic Restorations – body and paint
Rick
Hulett – interior fabrication
Mark
Larder Upholstery – interior installation
Henry
Portz – wiring looms, technical details
Hollywood
Machine Shop – engine short block
J.K.
Howell – parts, technical details
Josh
Malks – parts, technical details
Every
part of the car has been restored or refinished or replaced with a NOS or
newly-fabricated part. 95% of the
fasteners, virtually every visible bolt, nut, etc., are original with correct
markings. The odometer reading, 2529, undoubtedly is not correct. The car has
been driven 108 miles since restoration.
The
color is Cadet Grey “Luminescence,” a very subtle pearlescent shade that was achieved
in 1937 by incorporating finely-ground organic material such as mother-of-pearl
or fish scales. It was the only Cord color with any pearl or metallic overtone.
The modern paint was formulated from a spectrographic analysis of a factory
paint chip.
Factory
accessories include the heater/defroster and the Crosley radio (which needs new
tubes). The interior was also a rare factory option. It is wool broadcloth in
the “pleated leather” pattern.
Yes, the
car has blackwall tires. I think it
looks better this way as one of the 1930s’ highest performance cars. According to Josh Malks, who wrote the
book(s) on the 810/812, blackwall tires were standard in 1937.
You can
also see a video clip about my shop at Autoweek’s site: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110602/IPADVIDEO/110609969
The car
is on the cover of the ACD Club Newsletter, Number 8, 2011, and is featured in
the Newsletter, Numbers 1 and 2, 2012 (current issue).
I am the
owner and restorer and am not a dealer. I am selling the car because I can no
longer do what is necessary to show and maintain the car as it deserves. It has never been shown at a CCCA event or,
for that matter, anywhere other than Auburn and Grosse Pointe.
I
welcome the opportunity to show the car to prospective buyers. After 16 years
of ownership and 11 years of hands-on restoration I know every part of the car
intimately. It is located in Chelsea,
Michigan, a few minutes west of Ann Arbor.
The
chances that you have a vehicle for trade in which I would be interested are
very slim. Extremely slim. Ferrari
V-12? Japanese factory road racer
(cycle)? Early E-Type Jag coupe?
If the
car is not sold here, it may go to auction, perhaps in July at the Concours.
This is the opportunity to buy it without the trouble and expense of auction
fees and buyer and seller premiums which would unfortunately add many thousands
of dollars. As an added incentive, if
you come to see the car before the end of the auction and you buy the car, I
will credit your (reasonable) airfare, train fare, or car travel expense toward
the purchase price. Discuss this with me before you make the trip.
Although
it is completely restored, the car is sold as-is, with no warranty of any kind.
A 75 year-old car can’t be guaranteed. I will represent the car as completely
and honestly as possible and will expect to be held to the accuracy of my
statements.
