1936 CORD 810 BEVERLY SEDAN - PIONEER OF FRONT WHEEL DRIVE

The Cord 810, and later Cord 812, was an automobile produced by the Cord Automobile division of the Auburn Automobile Company in 1936 and 1937. It was the first American-designed and built front wheel drive car with independent front suspension. It followed the 1934 Citroën Traction Avant and the Cord L-29, both of which also had front wheel drive. Both models were also the first to offer hidden headlights. The styling of the Cord 810 was the work of designer Gordon M. Buehrig and his team of stylists, which included young Vince Gardner and Alex Tremulis. While the first American front-wheel-drive car with independent front suspension, it had an archaic tube rear axle with semi-elliptic rear springs. Power came from a 289 cubic inch Lycoming V8 of the same 125 horsepower as the L-29. The semi-automatic four-speed transmission, three plus overdrive, extended in front of the engine, like on a Traction Avant. This allowed Buehrig to dispense with the driveshaft and transmission tunnel; as a result, the new car was so low it required no running boards. It had a 125 inch wheelbase. The 810 had hidden door hinges and rear-hinged hood, rather than the side-opening type more usual at the time, both new items. It featured pontoon fenders with hidden headlamps which were modified Stinson landing lights that disappeared into the fenders via dashboard hand cranks. This car was first and one of the few ever to include this feature. It also featured a concealed fuel filler door and variable-speed windshield wipers, at a time when wipers were often operated by intake vacuum, and so tended to stop when the driver stepped on the gas pedal. Its engine-turned dashboard included complete instrumentation, a tachometer, and standard radio which would not become an industry standard offering until well into the 1950s. The most famous feature was the "coffin nose", a louvered wraparound grille, from which its nickname derived, a product of Buehrig's desire not to have a conventional grille. The first production cars were not ready to deliver until February, and did not reach New York City until April 1936. In all, Cord managed to sell only 1,174 of the new 810 in its first model year, as the result of mechanical troubles. Supercharged 812 models were distinguished from the normally aspirated 812s by the brilliant chrome-plated external exhaust pipes mounted on each side of the hood and grill. With supercharging, horsepower was raised to 170. 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. The Cord 810 is another example of an innovative American product and a historic vehicle. Thanks very much for viewing this rare 1936 Cord 810 Beverly sedan.

Added 2 Aug 2026