Mrs. Cord used to hang out at the Harrah's museum in Reno NV. I was 11 and drooling over his 812 while spouting facts to my family. She introduced herself to me. What a day 55 years ago.
It's like someone from the 30s travelled to the present day, studied a load of modern cars then travelled back to their own time and built their own "modern" car with 1930s technology. What a magnificent car! 😍
I really cannot believe you actually found one of these to drive in this country, but what an achievement to be able to fulfil what must have practically been a lifetime's ambition. Well done, Mr Richardson!
Somewhere in the UK is a right-hand drive 812 convertible in factory green. Featured in the Sunday Times magazine in the late 60s when it was for sale. An uncle tried to buy it many years ago but it looked like the car or a divorce so it never happened! Shame - it is the most beautiful peice of art with an engine on the planet!
Here in America it’s 2:30am but I couldn’t wait until the morning to see this video! The Cord is one of my absolute favorite cars but I’ve never actually seen one in the flesh. It looks wonderful and terrifying to drive all at the same time!
Fan-chuffing-tastic! ! ! I am actually jealous of you. What can you say about the Cord that hasn't already been said a thousand times. If this video isn't the most viewed of your extensive library, there is no justice in the world. Brilliant.
These were built in my hometown of Connersville, Indiana, and my grandpa worked in the old Cord factory about 30 years after Cord went out of business.
What an amazing car for the 1930's! That gearbox is almost like the paddle shifts available now, except for the fact that it required a clutch. I'm a big fan of Art Deco so I was always going to love it!
I must hand it to you, you are a brave man, I wouldn't dare to leave first gear on such narrow roads with such a clenode of a car! Thank you for a thurough car test of one of the most interesting cars of that era! And a big thank you to the owner for letting us tag along! :)
Fortunately I grew up in the country side like this and was barreling around in a Rover 2000 on these sorts of roads! Its the other drivers that are worrying..
@@furiousdriving I'm more worried something will appear in the road that isn't another car or vehicle.. it look's like driving with a horses shades for a swede where roads are at least 7 meters wide with large ditches and clear cut up to 13-20 meters.
The concentration needed to operate the gears was so apparent. The mechanical nature of all the internal switchgear was fantastic, yet the actual gear box (the oily bit) was electronically controlled. What an amazing car. Great video.
Auburn used to have the 100mph confirmation plaque. A few years ago I saw a Cord Cabriolet in two tone brown and cream paintwork. It was so eye catching.
I had a poster of the 812 on my bedroom wall when 35 years ago. It is an amazing piece of engineering and styling, I just love it! Glad you could show us this magnificent machine, Matt! 👍😄
WOW!!!! Very surprised to see that you were able to get your hands on THIS!!! And though I understand, I am surprised that it is your all-time favorite car. That being said, I always consider the 1930s and the 1960s the golden age(s) of motoring. Almost everything that came out in those two decades appeals to me. Very forward thinking, modern, clean / pure. Thanks for posting this!
OMG... watching this brought tears to my eyes... that car is just SO beautiful! Inside even more than outside! You were incredibly brave to drive it on those narrow country lanes. But that was what English roads were in the 1930’s, so it was appropriate! I’d love to drive it along those roads very late at night, with nothing else on the road.
Fantastic! Flash Gordon's daily driver. Reminds me of a 30's streamliner locomotive. This amazing mix and contrast of cars is what makes this channel so good, thanks Matt.
Incredible car. I think I read that the drag co-efficient was extremely good for a car of the period. The styling is so smooth, no rain gutters, everything flush fitting. So ahead of it's time. Shame about the bumpy road but at least you were able to drive it, which is amazing. Thanks. 😊👍
This is a UA-cam highlight! Wow what a car Matt, the odds of you getting behind the wheel of one of these. Such a legendary car and a groundbreaking one too. The Art Deco look is the best bit!
that makes me want to go rewatch 'the shadow' from the 90s with alec baldwin, because the taxi driver character in it drove a Cord. it was amazing watching you take that car down those teeny English country lanes also
one of my all time favorites too, but when they were new they were notoriously unfinished, so a restored one is actually better than new, as was a 2 year old used one. Still my favorite that I'll ever get a chance to have! Graham ended up with the body shells after ACD went out of business, they are even rarer now!
WOW...incredible. Thanks Matt. Must be like turning the Titanic around! Just out of interest, that $1995 in today's cash equivalent is about $38,000 (£27,500)
I've been watching some of you're videos for some time with interest, and seriously considering subscribing to your chanel more than onece( Just because I kind of have a "bunch"of subscriptions on UA-cam, cause it's a lot more interesting then TV... "Just stating the obviouse, right?!"...) But this one...! This one is the video that convinsed me to subscribe... The striking beauty of this peace of art, the technological advances for the 30's... It's not something normal on "your everyday youtuber"... Right? Keep up the motering vibe pure... I've melted with this Cord, real Art on weels, as a car should be (cause in our days they're all kind of the same :( ...) Thank you very much for this one, it made my day, it was just inspireing... Even if you don't read this, that's ok, I just had to put it out there... It's just pure art on weels... Again, thankyou, and God bless...
Thanks for subbing, it makes a big difference to the channel. This isn't something many car you tubers would look for but Id rather drive this than a Lambo
Awesome car! Its the same age as my Dad. The David Niven film 'Where Spys Dare' featured a Cord in the start. David's character undertook a dangerous mission in order to earn enough to keep the car on the road.
There is a series of books written by James Leasor. The Hero is Dr Jason Love who drives a Cord. Davis Niven played him in a movie. I quite enjoyed reading them, a bit like a reserved James Bond who got himself involved accidentally in all the espionage around in that time. Lol.
Oh my Zeus!! I am so jealous!. I totally love the Cord 810 and 812. One of the most important cars America ever gave the world. Certainly one of the best examples of Art Deco on the road ever.
That's a most wonderful and unforgettable experience! And a rewarding one, I imagine, since it obviously takes some get used to driving it. This and the Lincoln zephyr were the American design highlights of their time, it's obvious how advanced the Cord looked in the mid-1930s.
The Zephyr was really dated mechanically with mechanical brakes and non-independent front suspension (because of old Henry) although the body was a streamlined monocoque.
@@emjayay I know there's a big difference under the skin between those 2 when you compare their chassis and all other technique, I was just referring to the body design. In that respect, zephyr may have been more influential, since so many other makes (American and European) more or less copied its look in the late 1930s and even 1940s. When you consider every aspect, there's obviously no doubt that Cord was way more advanced.
Concentration level while driving 110%. Your description of the design and operating details is fantastic. The Cord was a superb design exercise even if somewhat over complex. Great vid
Sadly, it was too ambitious for the available technology. Those designers and engineers shot for the stars. If E. L. Cord hadn’t had such a big, healthy ego, we wouldn’t have had that car.
Nice seeing it in scale with a person in front of it. I always imagined it being bigger than what it is, but seeing a person in front of it really put it in scale.
I have only ever driven one pre-selector vehicle, a double decker bus, and I couldnt get my head around it at all, it was just wrong, glad I got to drive one though. that car is um, ah eh, uh yes, words just fail me, but well done on getting to drive one of your dream cars..
Thanks for this Matt. One of my favorite cars of all time. I’ve never seen one being driven. Bouncy! It must have looked like a space ship in the 1930’s
Very interesting indeed! Magnificent car. Graham bought the body dies and there was a run of Graham Hollywood models in 1940. The front was completely redesigned and the car was made rear wheel drive, but the body from the cowl back was the same as the Cord 810/812. As an aside, there was at least one British car in the early 30s that used a preselector gear change. Douglas Bader had his first drive after losing his legs in one. It may have been a Jowett. He used an umbrella to manage the clutch.
Mat that was awesome. I'm flabbergasted by the style and design of that car....made nearly NINETY years ago! Superb to look at, both outside and in. I reckon it would fit in really well amongst today's designs....imagine it with updated technology under the bonnet and the steering and suspension. I can see it floating along on the motorway, teasing the BMWs and Mercs. Nice one!
The Autocar test speed of 121mph isn't actually all that surprising based on the way the vehicles would have been tested. At the time there really wouldn't have been many public roads where it would have been possible to break the ton, so the magazine would have been likely to have used a race track, which, like Brooklands in Surrey, would have been very likely to be a high banked circuit, and it's perfectly possible to reach a higher speed on a high banked bowl than it is on the flat. In the US, however, the cars were tested on a fairly normal, flat, public road copying test track. It also has to be said that Cords were never tested to their maximum speed on the test track before they were delivered, just to a fairly sensible lower speed of 110mph that could be considered to be potentially achievable on public roads with much less traffic than today to ensure that the vehicles would be safe if pushed to such speeds by the original owners. It's somewhat the reverse to today where vehicles will be tested to their maximum speed on high speed bowls, so the maximum speeds recorded for them are unlikely to be achievable on public roads, other, perhaps, than for vehicles intended for emergency services use which often have somewhat tuned engines and, often, a lower vehicle weight due to them not being loaded up with unnecessary extras that would be considered standard on a civilian vehicle. I believe the engineers, and E. L. Cord himself, rightly felt that the maximum speed was utterly irrelevant as it would not be achievable for the owners anyway, and so felt there was absolutely no need to spend money testing for it, or to risk breaking customers' cars by attempting to achieve it when the vehicles were road tested before delivery, which was a very intelligent position to take and one that modern manufacturers should follow, rather like Rolls Royce used to where such things were merely described as being adequate...
My dad told me that he worked at GEC in Wembley in 1937. He said that, one lunchtime, he saw a Cord. It took off like a rocket - he had never seen a car accelerate so fast.
So beautiful! The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg in Auburn Indiana is my favorite (so far) car museum. It's in the original building and is very high Art Deco.
In America, they are now museum exhibits.I am impressed you found one running on public roads today, I wonder how long it took the engineers to sort out the trans-axle design.like finding a neanderthal with a cell phone. Cheers and congratulations on piloting one!!
WOW. I want one. What a gorgeous classic car. Absolutely love the dashboard, and the gear selector reminds me of the ones we use to have on the old Bristol vr busses amongst others. Thanks for the video, and keep up the good work.
Thank you for taking us all along for the ride in this rare, beautiful classic. Bruce Wayne drove a Cord in Batman the Animated Series which is why I love this car. It was almost the exact same color as this one, too!
I remember it making an cameo in one of your older videos. What a stunning details, incredible! I really like it. Dashboard is the most beautiful one I've ever seen.
Fascinating background! Growing up in Wimbledon in the 60s our next door neighbour had one - in a faded shade of grey it always looked quite menacing. Seem to remember it was started only twice a year. Apparently a family heirloom (but they were Honourable!). Astounding to think that a 30-year old car in those days seemed a total relic, while an equivalent vintage these days (early 90s model) seems almost contemporary. Very minor comment: would be nice to tripod mount the camera when going round the dashboard as it tended to jump around a lot, sometimes falling out of focus.
I'm jealous. I worked in a 3 man shop that rebuilt a '37 Beverly and never got to drive it. To be fair, after watching this video I'm not so sure that's a bad thing. Looks like a lot of work to me....
Fascinating but can't you see why GM brought their engineering expertise (and dollars) to bear on developing Hydramatic for introduction in 1940. 200;000 units sold by 1942! That was also the year of my all time favourite dashboard on the '42 DeSoto which also had concealed headlamps.
And Chrysler with power steering in 1951. The '42 Desoto is not well known because car production stopped after a couple months. The postwar facelifted version eliminated the concealed headlights. Look up the review on Hemmings - …"the chic new Fifth Avenue Steering Wheel 'hands' a cigarette to you at the flip of a convenient lever." What more could you want in a car? (My '62 Lincoln had four ashtrays and lighters!)
Wow, such a majestic and yet stealth design. Congratulations on getting to drive it, and thank you for filming it. BTW when you filmed the dashboard the auto-focus kept hunting. You might consider switching to manual focus, zoom all the way in, set the focus and then zoom out. It'll keep the focus that way.
There is also a "Beverly" version with a late 1930's style Chris Bangle bulbous trunk for more trunk room. Also check out the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado - the designers of that also FWD car were clearly looking at the Cord 810.
Amazing car, so beautiful. The overall design is beautiful, the fit and finish are outstanding...you can see why this would have cost some multiple of a Ford or Chevy at the time.
The emblem on the front of the hood is something that I have seen in pictures of just a few Cords, I believe just on Cords in Europe - it was nice to see a close up to see the details.
Wow a Cord, I loved them as a kid. So it was the L29 model that was the first American FWD production car, thanks. That 810 is a real beauty. Armstrong Siddeley used a pre-selector (auto) up to the Sapphire model I think, a friend of my dad used to drive one.
I can’t believe you actually found one to drive in the UK. I had a Matchbox Days of Yesteryear model of this as a kid and always thought it was extremely cool looking. And it was that colour!. Can’t beat Art Deco styling.
interesting to see a pre selector being used,Daimler and lanchester used these right up to the mid 50s(Wilson pre selector)and some French makes like hotchkiss had them also (cotal pre selector)
Crikey you are SO lucky to have a go in that!!! The Thirties was full of the most beautiful things ever conceived. The finest style and quality. My favourite car decade. Then my next fave is the 60s then the 20s then 50s then 70s - Ha ha What am I on about???😸 Lovely to see. Thanks.
We went to the Cord/Dusenberg museum in Auburn Indiana about 18 years ago. Well worth a visit! And the Studebaker museum only about 80 miles from there in South Bend.
The Great Depression really did a number on the automotive world, didn't it? Cord, Dusenberg, Stutz, Pierce-Arrow, Peerless, Clyno, and Star among many, many other foreign and domestic marques. It's always fun to imagine what if.
The Pierce-Arrow V12 engine managed to live on for years and provided an invaluable service. When P-A sold their assets, American LaFrance bought the rights to the engine and used them to power their fire engines through the 50s and into the 60s....
WHAT? Do you realise how lucky you are to *drive* one of these, let alone look at it?? Always been a dream to even look at it in real life. Lucky, and a great video because I felt like I had a ride in it. Cheers for the video
@@furiousdriving Fab. Looking back on the comment it seems a bit pretentious but I didn't mean for it to come off that way!! Just glad that you got the opportunity.
I wonder if this is the very same Cord I had a ride in, in 2008 in Suffolk? Owned back then by a well known motoring author, he took us on a blast around the local roads - it made my day! I think he subsequently sold it in the intervening years and this could be it in restored form? There can't be that many in the UK? Thanks from Australia.
Sounds very like a vintage bus pulling away. But it looks very much more complicated than either a conventional manual gearbox or a regular automatic. The only advantage of the preselector arrangement seems to be that it reduces the physical effort of changing gear. That interior though is a work of art.
3:34 I don't know if you Brits know or use the term, but in the USA cast bearings are known as 'babbitt' bearings, named after Isaac Babbitt who invented the alloy in 1839, funnily enough from Taunton, Massachusetts.
Magnificent car. Some superb design details like the radio speaker which is mimicked by the rear courtesy lights . The beautiful front fenders. Looks quite tricky to drive but I suppose it would have pretty advanced fir the ‘30s
Gratifying to see your obvious enthusiasm. If you're even in the American Midwest, you must make a stop at the ACD museum in Auburn, IN. It is a treasure trove. The one time I rode in one I don't recall as much jounce, but then it was on blacktop at pretty low speeds. The Beverly interior was interestingly innovative and the lwb Customs solved the rear legroom problem. First car with a hidden gas cap too, btw.
The prototype Tucker had a Cord preselected gearbox . The production Tucker was meant to have the cord but they couldn't find enough of them in the salvage yards .
Lovely car, Lovely interior; I never thought I’d like yellow and maroon! Has a very “The Great Gatsby” vibe about it. It did look like a handful to drive though.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Mrs. Cord used to hang out at the Harrah's museum in Reno NV. I was 11 and drooling over his 812 while spouting facts to my family. She introduced herself to me.
What a day 55 years ago.
What a lucky encounter!
Wow Eric!
It's like someone from the 30s travelled to the present day, studied a load of modern cars then travelled back to their own time and built their own "modern" car with 1930s technology.
What a magnificent car! 😍
I really cannot believe you actually found one of these to drive in this country, but what an achievement to be able to fulfil what must have practically been a lifetime's ambition. Well done, Mr Richardson!
It really was. Now I need to buy one somehow..
@@furiousdriving , better start saving up, I suppose!
Somewhere in the UK is a right-hand drive 812 convertible in factory green. Featured in the Sunday Times magazine in the late 60s when it was for sale. An uncle tried to buy it many years ago but it looked like the car or a divorce so it never happened! Shame - it is the most beautiful peice of art with an engine on the planet!
Here in America it’s 2:30am but I couldn’t wait until the morning to see this video! The Cord is one of my absolute favorite cars but I’ve never actually seen one in the flesh. It looks wonderful and terrifying to drive all at the same time!
Fan-chuffing-tastic! ! ! I am actually jealous of you. What can you say about the Cord that hasn't already been said a thousand times. If this video isn't the most viewed of your extensive library, there is no justice in the world. Brilliant.
There arnt may Cord videos on UA-cam so it will be interesting to see how it does
I totally agree Sir.
These were built in my hometown of Connersville, Indiana, and my grandpa worked in the old Cord factory about 30 years after Cord went out of business.
What an amazing car for the 1930's! That gearbox is almost like the paddle shifts available now, except for the fact that it required a clutch. I'm a big fan of Art Deco so I was always going to love it!
I love the design of those dials and gauges, the 30's really did do design so well, being interesting and beautiful without being too excessive.
This is the first time that I have seen such a detailed view of the interior of the Cord; that dashboard is just gorgeous! Thank you.
What a piece of kit, so advanced. The gearbox whine on taking off was epic. Great drive. Many thanks. AJ
A proper piece of old school steel. Hello from Slovenia.
I must hand it to you, you are a brave man, I wouldn't dare to leave first gear on such narrow roads with such a clenode of a car! Thank you for a thurough car test of one of the most interesting cars of that era! And a big thank you to the owner for letting us tag along! :)
Fortunately I grew up in the country side like this and was barreling around in a Rover 2000 on these sorts of roads! Its the other drivers that are worrying..
@@furiousdriving I'm more worried something will appear in the road that isn't another car or vehicle.. it look's like driving with a horses shades for a swede where roads are at least 7 meters wide with large ditches and clear cut up to 13-20 meters.
The concentration needed to operate the gears was so apparent. The mechanical nature of all the internal switchgear was fantastic, yet the actual gear box (the oily bit) was electronically controlled. What an amazing car. Great video.
Auburn used to have the 100mph confirmation plaque. A few years ago I saw a Cord Cabriolet in two tone brown and cream paintwork. It was so eye catching.
How could anyone not want one of those? Just look at it!
I had a poster of the 812 on my bedroom wall when 35 years ago. It is an amazing piece of engineering and styling, I just love it! Glad you could show us this magnificent machine, Matt! 👍😄
I had the toy, Ive not come across a poster of one!
Glad you got to experience this incredible car, so ahead of it's times. It's like something out of the Batman films 1989-1992.
Yes, they were very deco and heavily influenced by the 30s comics
WOW!!!! Very surprised to see that you were able to get your hands on THIS!!! And though I understand, I am surprised that it is your all-time favorite car. That being said, I always consider the 1930s and the 1960s the golden age(s) of motoring. Almost everything that came out in those two decades appeals to me. Very forward thinking, modern, clean / pure. Thanks for posting this!
OMG... watching this brought tears to my eyes... that car is just SO beautiful! Inside even more than outside!
You were incredibly brave to drive it on those narrow country lanes. But that was what English roads were in the 1930’s, so it was appropriate! I’d love to drive it along those roads very late at night, with nothing else on the road.
Just imagine seeing one of these in the 1930s let alone driving or riding in one. What an amazing car.
Fantastic! Flash Gordon's daily driver. Reminds me of a 30's streamliner locomotive. This amazing mix and contrast of cars is what makes this channel so good, thanks Matt.
Remember seeing this Cord in the background of one of your previous videos hoping you would get to drive it. Glad you had so much fun in it!
It was this one, was waiting for dry weather and a couple of jobs to be done
Incredible car. I think I read that the drag co-efficient was extremely good for a car of the period. The styling is so smooth, no rain gutters, everything flush fitting. So ahead of it's time. Shame about the bumpy road but at least you were able to drive it, which is amazing. Thanks. 😊👍
This is a UA-cam highlight! Wow what a car Matt, the odds of you getting behind the wheel of one of these. Such a legendary car and a groundbreaking one too. The Art Deco look is the best bit!
There are only handful in the UK so when a friend said he was buying one I couldnt believe it!
that makes me want to go rewatch 'the shadow' from the 90s with alec baldwin, because the taxi driver character in it drove a Cord. it was amazing watching you take that car down those teeny English country lanes also
Great movie, great car.
That’s about as nervous a look as I’ve ever seen when you were pulling out of junctions and selecting gears. What a wonderful old beast.
one of my all time favorites too, but when they were new they were notoriously unfinished, so a restored one is actually better than new, as was a 2 year old used one.
Still my favorite that I'll ever get a chance to have! Graham ended up with the body shells after ACD went out of business, they are even rarer now!
WOW...incredible. Thanks Matt. Must be like turning the Titanic around!
Just out of interest, that $1995 in today's cash equivalent is about $38,000 (£27,500)
Excellent video! Lovely visuals combined with great explanations of what we are seeing. I’ll be watching this more than once.
I've been watching some of you're videos for some time with interest, and seriously considering subscribing to your chanel more than onece( Just because I kind of have a "bunch"of subscriptions on UA-cam, cause it's a lot more interesting then TV... "Just stating the obviouse, right?!"...) But this one...! This one is the video that convinsed me to subscribe... The striking beauty of this peace of art, the technological advances for the 30's... It's not something normal on "your everyday youtuber"... Right? Keep up the motering vibe pure... I've melted with this Cord, real Art on weels, as a car should be (cause in our days they're all kind of the same :( ...) Thank you very much for this one, it made my day, it was just inspireing... Even if you don't read this, that's ok, I just had to put it out there... It's just pure art on weels... Again, thankyou, and God bless...
Thanks for subbing, it makes a big difference to the channel. This isn't something many car you tubers would look for but Id rather drive this than a Lambo
Absolutely gorgeous looking car. I love Art Deco styling, which explains why I love this car.
Such an advanced car for its time.
Awesome car! Its the same age as my Dad. The David Niven film 'Where Spys Dare' featured a Cord in the start. David's character undertook a dangerous mission in order to earn enough to keep the car on the road.
There is a series of books written by James Leasor. The Hero is Dr Jason Love who drives a Cord. Davis Niven played him in a movie. I quite enjoyed reading them, a bit like a reserved James Bond who got himself involved accidentally in all the espionage around in that time. Lol.
I,ve seen the film and the Cord(supercharged model) enjoyed the movie loved the car
@@bryanpalmer9660 I saw (and filmed) a modifyed Cord called 'Tetanus' at the recent London Classic Car Show.
Oh my Zeus!! I am so jealous!. I totally love the Cord 810 and 812. One of the most important cars America ever gave the world. Certainly one of the best examples of Art Deco on the road ever.
That's a most wonderful and unforgettable experience! And a rewarding one, I imagine, since it obviously takes some get used to driving it. This and the Lincoln zephyr were the American design highlights of their time, it's obvious how advanced the Cord looked in the mid-1930s.
The Zephyr was really dated mechanically with mechanical brakes and non-independent front suspension (because of old Henry) although the body was a streamlined monocoque.
@@emjayay I know there's a big difference under the skin between those 2 when you compare their chassis and all other technique, I was just referring to the body design. In that respect, zephyr may have been more influential, since so many other makes (American and European) more or less copied its look in the late 1930s and even 1940s. When you consider every aspect, there's obviously no doubt that Cord was way more advanced.
Concentration level while driving 110%. Your description of the design and operating details is fantastic. The Cord was a superb design exercise even if somewhat over complex. Great vid
Sadly, it was too ambitious for the available technology. Those designers and engineers shot for the stars. If E. L. Cord hadn’t had such a big, healthy ego, we wouldn’t have had that car.
Nice to see that sometimes meeting your heroes works out just fine.
My ultimate Art Deco automobile is the 34 Chrysler Airstream coupe. Though it was not as advanced as the Cord.
You're a lucky guy Matt. This car is a work of art.
トヨタ博物館に行った時、この車があり、
興味を持つようになりました。
言葉は分かりませんが、楽しめました。
ありがとうございました。
Compare that dash to a modern Mercedes absolutely ghastly 'multiple ipads next to each other' approach
Nonsense. Technology moved on.
Nice seeing it in scale with a person in front of it. I always imagined it being bigger than what it is, but seeing a person in front of it really put it in scale.
I have only ever driven one pre-selector vehicle, a double decker bus, and I couldnt get my head around it at all, it was just wrong, glad I got to drive one though. that car is um, ah eh, uh yes, words just fail me, but well done on getting to drive one of your dream cars..
Wow, furiousdriving, i have no words to express my impressions.
Also those are very cool first in the world pop-up headlights!
Wonderful machine - you're very lucky to get a drive; pre-selectors were very common on buses of the fifties and sixties (and Daimlers).
Matt, so happy for you that you got to experience your favorite car. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Watching this makes me pinch myself that it's mine ! Great job Matt.
Thanks for this Matt. One of my favorite cars of all time. I’ve never seen one being driven. Bouncy! It must have looked like a space ship in the 1930’s
Very interesting indeed! Magnificent car. Graham bought the body dies and there was a run of Graham Hollywood models in 1940. The front was completely redesigned and the car was made rear wheel drive, but the body from the cowl back was the same as the Cord 810/812. As an aside, there was at least one British car in the early 30s that used a preselector gear change. Douglas Bader had his first drive after losing his legs in one. It may have been a Jowett. He used an umbrella to manage the clutch.
there was a 3/4 size replica version in the 60s as well
Also one of my all time favourite vehicles. The architect Frank Lloyd wright owned several Cords including and L29 and 810 drop head.
they would have been perfect for him
Mat that was awesome. I'm flabbergasted by the style and design of that car....made nearly NINETY years ago! Superb to look at, both outside and in. I reckon it would fit in really well amongst today's designs....imagine it with updated technology under the bonnet and the steering and suspension. I can see it floating along on the motorway, teasing the BMWs and Mercs. Nice one!
The Autocar test speed of 121mph isn't actually all that surprising based on the way the vehicles would have been tested. At the time there really wouldn't have been many public roads where it would have been possible to break the ton, so the magazine would have been likely to have used a race track, which, like Brooklands in Surrey, would have been very likely to be a high banked circuit, and it's perfectly possible to reach a higher speed on a high banked bowl than it is on the flat. In the US, however, the cars were tested on a fairly normal, flat, public road copying test track. It also has to be said that Cords were never tested to their maximum speed on the test track before they were delivered, just to a fairly sensible lower speed of 110mph that could be considered to be potentially achievable on public roads with much less traffic than today to ensure that the vehicles would be safe if pushed to such speeds by the original owners. It's somewhat the reverse to today where vehicles will be tested to their maximum speed on high speed bowls, so the maximum speeds recorded for them are unlikely to be achievable on public roads, other, perhaps, than for vehicles intended for emergency services use which often have somewhat tuned engines and, often, a lower vehicle weight due to them not being loaded up with unnecessary extras that would be considered standard on a civilian vehicle. I believe the engineers, and E. L. Cord himself, rightly felt that the maximum speed was utterly irrelevant as it would not be achievable for the owners anyway, and so felt there was absolutely no need to spend money testing for it, or to risk breaking customers' cars by attempting to achieve it when the vehicles were road tested before delivery, which was a very intelligent position to take and one that modern manufacturers should follow, rather like Rolls Royce used to where such things were merely described as being adequate...
My dad told me that he worked at GEC in Wembley in 1937. He said that, one lunchtime, he saw a Cord. It took off like a rocket - he had never seen a car accelerate so fast.
So beautiful! The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg in Auburn Indiana is my favorite (so far) car museum. It's in the original building and is very high Art Deco.
In America, they are now museum exhibits.I am impressed you found one running on public roads today, I wonder how long it took the engineers to sort out the trans-axle design.like finding a neanderthal with a cell phone. Cheers and congratulations on piloting one!!
WOW. I want one. What a gorgeous classic car. Absolutely love the dashboard, and the gear selector reminds me of the ones we use to have on the old Bristol vr busses amongst others. Thanks for the video, and keep up the good work.
Thank you for taking us all along for the ride in this rare, beautiful classic. Bruce Wayne drove a Cord in Batman the Animated Series which is why I love this car. It was almost the exact same color as this one, too!
I remember it making an cameo in one of your older videos. What a stunning details, incredible! I really like it. Dashboard is the most beautiful one I've ever seen.
Yes, that was when he'd just bought it, first time Id seen one in years!
Fascinating background! Growing up in Wimbledon in the 60s our next door neighbour had one - in a faded shade of grey it always looked quite menacing. Seem to remember it was started only twice a year. Apparently a family heirloom (but they were Honourable!). Astounding to think that a 30-year old car in those days seemed a total relic, while an equivalent vintage these days (early 90s model) seems almost contemporary.
Very minor comment: would be nice to tripod mount the camera when going round the dashboard as it tended to jump around a lot, sometimes falling out of focus.
Great vid and no need to explain that you were enjoying it, it was there for everyone to see.
Love the whine from the gearbox 👍👍👍
Best "Goes for a drive" yet. Loved it!
You looked terrified driving that Matt and I can see why, what a gorgeous car.
I was worried about messing up the gearbox!
I'm not generally a fan of older cars like this, but that is utterly fantastic.
I'm jealous. I worked in a 3 man shop that rebuilt a '37 Beverly and never got to drive it. To be fair, after watching this video I'm not so sure that's a bad thing. Looks like a lot of work to me....
That must have been a really interesting job though.
I really like the over the shoulder camera position you've used there whilst driving.
Fascinating but can't you see why GM brought their engineering expertise (and dollars) to bear on developing Hydramatic for introduction in 1940. 200;000 units sold by 1942! That was also the year of my all time favourite dashboard on the '42 DeSoto which also had concealed headlamps.
And Chrysler with power steering in 1951. The '42 Desoto is not well known because car production stopped after a couple months. The postwar facelifted version eliminated the concealed headlights. Look up the review on Hemmings - …"the chic new Fifth Avenue Steering Wheel 'hands' a cigarette to you at the flip of a convenient lever." What more could you want in a car? (My '62 Lincoln had four ashtrays and lighters!)
Wow, such a majestic and yet stealth design. Congratulations on getting to drive it, and thank you for filming it. BTW when you filmed the dashboard the auto-focus kept hunting. You might consider switching to manual focus, zoom all the way in, set the focus and then zoom out. It'll keep the focus that way.
it was the old Z6, new Z6II is finally back from repairs!
There is also a "Beverly" version with a late 1930's style Chris Bangle bulbous trunk for more trunk room. Also check out the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado - the designers of that also FWD car were clearly looking at the Cord 810.
Cool. I had the Matchbox one. It seemed more of a model than a toy, so I put it in my parents' display cabinet. I think ir's still there.
Amazing car, so beautiful. The overall design is beautiful, the fit and finish are outstanding...you can see why this would have cost some multiple of a Ford or Chevy at the time.
The emblem on the front of the hood is something that I have seen in pictures of just a few Cords, I believe just on Cords in Europe - it was nice to see a close up to see the details.
This is the third time I'm watching this video. Can't have enough of this automobile icon.
Thanks! Im still amazed I got one on here
Amazing car! Great review Mat, I absolutely love these vintage car reviews.
Wow a Cord, I loved them as a kid. So it was the L29 model that was the first American FWD production car, thanks. That 810 is a real beauty. Armstrong Siddeley used a pre-selector (auto) up to the Sapphire model I think, a friend of my dad used to drive one.
Ever since my mate had a matchbox one, in red with a white roof, I loved these. And always will.
You are so lucky... I'd jut be happy to sit in it!
I can’t believe you actually found one to drive in the UK. I had a Matchbox Days of Yesteryear model of this as a kid and always thought it was extremely cool looking. And it was that colour!. Can’t beat Art Deco styling.
“The Shadow” was driven around in a one of those in the 1994 Alec Baldwin movie, it was disguised as a taxi. Great upload mate.
I’ve loved this car my whole life. E. L. Cord and Gordon Buehrig are cultural heroes of mine.
interesting to see a pre selector being used,Daimler and lanchester used these right up to the mid 50s(Wilson pre selector)and some French makes like hotchkiss had them also (cotal pre selector)
Crikey you are SO lucky to have a go in that!!! The Thirties was full of the most beautiful things ever conceived. The finest style and quality. My favourite car decade.
Then my next fave is the 60s then the 20s then 50s then 70s - Ha ha What am I on about???😸
Lovely to see. Thanks.
We went to the Cord/Dusenberg museum in Auburn Indiana about 18 years ago. Well worth a visit! And the Studebaker museum only about 80 miles from there in South Bend.
One of my all-time favourites too. Kudos to you, Matt (and thanks for the vid)!
The Great Depression really did a number on the automotive world, didn't it? Cord, Dusenberg, Stutz, Pierce-Arrow, Peerless, Clyno, and Star among many, many other foreign and domestic marques. It's always fun to imagine what if.
Yeah ..The Cord was called the baby Duesenberg
The Pierce-Arrow V12 engine managed to live on for years and provided an invaluable service. When P-A sold their assets, American LaFrance bought the rights to the engine and used them to power their fire engines through the 50s and into the 60s....
Wow fabulous, 85 years old. It's arguable in 2084 if there is a car today that would be as stunning in design as Cord is today 2021.
That’s the full Dirk Pitt right there😎👍 You needed to be rocking the Hawaiian shirt driving the Cord.
I wondered where I'd heard of Cord before.
WHAT? Do you realise how lucky you are to *drive* one of these, let alone look at it?? Always been a dream to even look at it in real life. Lucky, and a great video because I felt like I had a ride in it. Cheers for the video
Yes. Yes I do
@@furiousdriving Fab. Looking back on the comment it seems a bit pretentious but I didn't mean for it to come off that way!! Just glad that you got the opportunity.
That car is incredible! It’s rare that I find American cars beautiful, but that is quite possibly the most beautiful car I’ve ever seen!
Mindblowing! I really hope this video goes viral
Me too!
Wow, wow and again, just wow! I think you got all of the internet jealous there, Matt.
Wow, and yes I’m jealous. Very Jules Vernes
Pleased for you that you got to meet your “hero”. You looked a little nervous driving it; I would be too. What a great car and excellent video.
I was worried about damaging the gearbox! It got much easier as it went along
I would have been terrified.
I wonder if this is the very same Cord I had a ride in, in 2008 in Suffolk? Owned back then by a well known motoring author, he took us on a blast around the local roads - it made my day! I think he subsequently sold it in the intervening years and this could be it in restored form? There can't be that many in the UK? Thanks from Australia.
could well be there are only half a dozen here at most
Incredible car!
It's such a shame that Cord didn't survive as a car company.
Sounds very like a vintage bus pulling away. But it looks very much more complicated than either a conventional manual gearbox or a regular automatic. The only advantage of the preselector arrangement seems to be that it reduces the physical effort of changing gear. That interior though is a work of art.
3:34 I don't know if you Brits know or use the term, but in the USA cast bearings are known as 'babbitt' bearings, named after Isaac Babbitt who invented the alloy in 1839, funnily enough from Taunton, Massachusetts.
love the sound of that gearbox
Magnificent car. Some superb design details like the radio speaker which is mimicked by the rear courtesy lights . The beautiful front fenders. Looks quite tricky to drive but I suppose it would have pretty advanced fir the ‘30s
Gratifying to see your obvious enthusiasm. If you're even in the American Midwest, you must make a stop at the ACD museum in Auburn, IN. It is a treasure trove. The one time I rode in one I don't recall as much jounce, but then it was on blacktop at pretty low speeds. The Beverly interior was interestingly innovative and the lwb Customs solved the rear legroom problem. First car with a hidden gas cap too, btw.
Yes, I forgot the cap, everything was flush outside. Id love to go there one day
The prototype Tucker had a Cord preselected gearbox . The production Tucker was meant to have the cord but they couldn't find enough of them in the salvage yards .
Nice. A real 'daily driver' and not some museum piece.
Lovely car, Lovely interior; I never thought I’d like yellow and maroon! Has a very “The Great Gatsby” vibe about it. It did look like a handful to drive though.