The story of the Cord automobile company is largely a tale of what could have been. Cord pumped out impressive innovations that were ahead of their time, but was unfortunately unable to capitalize due to reliability concerns and a poor 1930s economy. Over 70 years have passed since the death of the Cord name, but now the company may once again produce cars under the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of 2015.

The Cord Corporation produced automobiles for less than 10 years. The company was named after its founder E. L. Cord, who had several automobile holdings, including the Auburn Automobile Company, which would manufacture Cord vehicles. The Cord L-29 was the company’s first vehicle and also the first American front-wheel-drive vehicle available to the public. The L-29 also featured inboard brakes and superb handling, despite its woeful (even for the time) 80 mph top speed. 

 The 810/812 Cord design would follow. It had the potential to profoundly alter American cars, featuring front-wheel-drive, independent front suspension and an electronically-selected-semi-automatic transmission. The 810/812 also had remarkable coachwork (Jay Leno deemed it the most beautiful four-door sedan ever made) and is remembered for its hidden headlights, the first of their kind.

However, the 1930s proved to be a difficult time for American automobile companies. While Cord models were the star of more than one auto show, orders didn’t always equal sales thanks to longer than expected delivery times. Perhaps more significant in the company’s demise were the numerous mechanical difficulties with its cars, including vapor locking, gear slipping and dismal engine performance. The Cord and Auburn names were sold in 1937 to Dallas Winslow, who formed the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Company to supply replacement parts to now abandoned owners.

After being consigned to the automotive history books for too long, the Cord name has surfaced once again. The brand’s new owner, Craig Corbell, felt that these cars had an increased appeal with car collectors and reproducing them was finally feasible thanks to the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufactures Act. This allows the company to build a limited number of turnkey vehicles that are exempted from current safety standards and testing. For now, the Cord appears to still be in the planning stage as Corbell has been in discussions with potential partners and manufacturers. We’ll watch for any updates from the company and hope to see turnkey examples when the provisions of the low volume act are finalized.

-Dean Larson

Photo By Sicnag - 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Cabriolet, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/...