eBay Auction Information

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.