Auburn-Cord: The Pride of Indiana (204)E.L. Cord, a pioneer in the car industry, took over the Auburn Automobile Company and turned out some legendary creations. Cord was eventually responsible for turning out fabulous cars under the Auburn name, putting his own name on several Cord models and manufacturing the Duesenberg. Auburns and Cords were the pride of Indiana, where they were manufactured until the company ceased operations.
Today, Auburns and Cords can be valued at more than $1 million. Their beauty and rarity make them a collector's dream.
Early Auburn/Duesenberg Facts:
- The Auburn Automobile Company produced its first car in 1903; it sold for $800.
- Some of the options available on the 1913 Auburn were a windshield, a speedometer and a top.
- The first Duesenbergs went on sale in 1921.
- Duesenberg engines were said to be painted green to represent money.
E.L. Cord Facts:
- Errett Lobban Cord was 29 years old when he came to the struggling Auburn Automobile Company in 1924. Rather than taking conventional payment, he received stock options and 20 percent of the company's potential profits.
- Cord appeared on the cover of Time Magazine twice in the 1930s.
- Cord formed the Cord Corporation in 1929 (just prior to the stock market crash). At its peak, the corporation controlled more than 150 individual companies.
Cord Car Facts:
- The Auburn Speedster set a new hill climb record at Pike's Peak despite being 1,000 lbs. heavier than the previous record-holder.
- The 1929 Cord L-29 was America's first front-drive production car. In sales literature it was simply referred to as "The Cord Front Drive."
- In 1930, open-bodied L-29s were priced at $3,295; closed-bodied models sold for $3,095.
- The Cord 812 was included in a 1951 exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Celebrities and Their Cords
- Each of the Marx Brothers owned a Cord L-29.
- Amelia Earhart drove a two-door Cord 812 Phaeton.
- The Weymann Company created a fabric-covered body for orchestra leader Paul Whiteman's L-29.
Resources:
Auburn & Cord
by Lee Bech and Josh B. Malks
Cord 810/812: A Timeless Classic
by Josh B. Malks
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum
www.acdmuseum.org
History of Auburn Cord Duesenberg
www.clearlake.com/auburn/acd.htm
