1937 Cord 812

This 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Sportsman Cabriolet is a Concours winning, supercharged example of one of the most iconic, technologically advanced Pre-War cars ever produced. Established by namesake founder Errett Lobban E.L. Cord in 1929, the Cord Corporation served as Mr. Cords holding company for his automotive ventures, including his shares in Auburn and Dusenberg, as well as engine builder, Lycoming. Cord began producing the namesake Cord L-29 in June 1929, serving as an intermediate model sitting above the more affordable Auburn and below the premium Duesenberg. Famously, the 1929 Cord L-29 beat out Ruxton to be Americas First Front-Drive Car; however, in actuality, several automakers at the turn of the century had experimented with front wheel drive vehicles but none were particularly successful. Nonetheless, the 1929 release of the L-29 could not have come at a worse time, with the onset of the Great Depression starting in late 1929 and then continuing into 1930 and beyond. Consequently, Cord ceased production of the gorgeous L-29 at the end of 1931. By the mid-1930s however, the economy appeared as if it were beginning to recover from the horrific effects of the Depression and the Cord Corporation decided it was time to revive its novel front-wheel-drive automobiles, with a brand new design both inside and out. Styled by famed automobile designer Gordon Buehrig, the new Cord 810/812 models were essentially designed to be the Baby Duesenberg and featured an iconic Coffin Nose design. In addition to their unique style, the new Cord models are renowned for a number of revolutionary upgrades in automobile design including rear opening hoods, front wheel drive, semi-automatic transmissions, hide-away convertible tops, and roll up headlights. Additionally, Cords coffin nose front wheel drive design allowed for a lower ride height, which eliminated the need for running boards which would soon become obsolete across most American cars produced in the following decade or so. Of course, one of Cords biggest innovations were introduced in 1937 with the incorporation of a supercharger that bumped the 812s horsepower from 125 to 170! In spite of all of the Cords technological and design innovations, Cords financial issues finally put a halt on production in August 1937, with the company producing a mere 2,992 810 and 812 models during its short run from 1936-1937. In total, a mere 2,992 Coffin Nose Cords were produced during their short production run from 1936 through 1937 and it is believed that just a handful of Supercharged Sportsman Cabriolet Convertible Coupes were produced in this configuration, which means that this particular example is quite a rare piece of automotive history. Due to its unique design, mechanical innovations, and overall rarity, the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) has designated all Cord automobiles as Full Classics which means this 37 Cord 812 SC Sportsman is eligible to participate in CCCA events and CARavans. This particular example comes to us from the hands of a long line of prominent collectors, and most recently from an esteemed collection where it resided for a period of over ten years. This Supercharged Sportsman was also recently awarded Best In Class at the 2024 10,000 Lakes Concours DElegance further reinforcing its fantastic quality, rarity, and desirability. Under the iconic, revolutionary rear-hinged hood on this 37 Cord 812 is a supercharged Lycoming 288.64 Cu. In. V8 fed by a single 2 barrel carburetor that together were said to have created an impressive 170 horsepower when new. The 289 Lycoming V8 is mated to a 4 speed manual transmission that shifted using the innovative remote controlled column-mounted pre-selector shifter. Unlike virtually all pre-war classic cars which were rear wheel drive, power is sent from the supercharged Lycoming powerplant via the transaxle to the front wheels on this front wheel drive Cord. This 37 Cord SC Sportsman rides on a set of wide whitewall bias-ply tires, accented with chrome wheelcovers and beauty rings which gives this convertible an upscale look whether parked at the local car show or cruising down the road. The luxurious look and feel of this 812 Sportsman Convertible is further supplemented with front and rear bumper guards and a pair of amber-lensed Cord-branded fog lights. In addition to the fog lamps, both headlights manually crank up and down which is one of the many technological and forward-thinking innovations of the Cord 810/812 series. This 1937 Sportsman is equipped with a manually operated beige cloth convertible soft top along with an accessory removable hardtop, both of which appear to be in wonderful condition. The exterior on this 37 Cord 812 Sportsman has been refinished in a beautiful Dark Thrust Brown paint that completes the stunning exterior look of the CCCA Full Classic. The interior on this 1937 Cord 812 Sportsman Convertible Coupe is absolutely gorgeous! The bench seat has been reupholstered with beautiful tan leather that provides a beautiful contrast from the rich exterior appearance. The matching upholstered door panels and armrests, along with the burgundy carpeting, dark ivory painted dash with its engine-turned instrument panel, and body color-matched steering wheel with chrome horn ring are all in fantastic condition as well and appear to be in their stock configuration. The instrument cluster features a wide array of instrumentation and gauges including a 150 MPH speedometer, 5,000 RPM tachometer, oil pressure gauge, temperature gauge, amp gauge, and fuel gauge. The dash is completed with an AM radio and full-size clock, as well as with a pair of locking gloveboxes that straddle the instrument panel. Whether youre buying your first full classic car or youre an established ACD or CCCA collector, this 1937 Cord 812 Sportsman Cabriolet would make an excellent choice. Give Ellingsons a call today at 763-428-7337!