Cord 812 Convertible Phaeton
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Car producer : |
Cord |
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Model: |
812 Convertible Phaeton |
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Year: |
1937-1938 |
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Type: |
Cabriolet |
The 1937 Cords, designated 812, when custom sedans on a longer wheelbase joined the four-model range, though it is doubtful whether any independent offering ever matched Buehrig's original Beverly fastback sedan for sheer style and little changed from 1936 models except for the supercharged engine option. Cord’s experience with Duesenberg, another of the Cord companies and his ownership of Lycoming, made it relatively simple for them to add a Schwitzer-Cummins centrifugal supercharger that provided a maximum of 6-psi boost and increased the Lycoming 289-cid V-8’s power to between 185 and 195 horsepower. The chromed outside exhaust pipes gave external identification. The car is built on a 125-inch wheelbase front-wheel drive platform and also has a four-speed electric pre-selector transmission, independent front suspension and four-wheel hydraulic brakes.
In September of 1937, a Cord crew headed by Ab Jenkins set 35 American stock car speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats, certified by the AAA Contest Board, including 24 hours at an average speed, including stops, of 101.72 miles per hour.
Early reliability problems, including slipping out of gear and vapor lock, cooled initial enthusiasm. Although most new owners loved their sleek fast cars, the dealer base shrank rapidly. Unsold left-over and in-process 1936 810 models were re-numbered and sold as 1937 812 models. In 1937, after producing about 3000 of these cars, Auburn ceased production of the Cord. One of the most attractive – and certainly the rarest – variants of the 810/812 was the Convertible Coupe – often referred to by collectors as the “Sportsman.” Approximately 195 of these very attractive convertible coupes were built during the two year life of the Cord 810/812, though only 64, according to factory records, were supercharged.
