Built during the height of the Art Deco period, and featuring some futuristic and revolutionary engineering, the Cord 812 Westchester was capable of many things, but it was completely incapable of saving the manufacturer from collapse. Today, Cord is a manufacturer consigned to the pages of history, but thankfully, examples of their beautifully styled cars live on. This 1937 812 Westchester is in need of complete restoration, but the end results should be well worth the time and effort involved. It is located in Medford, New Jersey, and is listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set the auction to open at $24,999, but there have been no bids to this point. However, there are 94 people watching the listing, which would suggest that this is a car that has sparked a certain amount of interest since it was listed for sale.

The wraps came off the Cord 810 (the predecessor to the 812) at the New York Auto Show in November of 1935, and the car was an immediate hit. Those attending the show were astounded not only by the beautiful styling of the vehicle but by some of the innovative engineering under the skin. The “coffin nose” hood and concealed headlights gave the car a swooping and aerodynamic look that set tongues wagging. In fact, while the 810 was classed as the predecessor to the 812, they were essentially identical cars, with the 810 being the 1936 model, and the 812 being the same car built one year later. Those glory days are a long way behind this Cord, but it is far from being a lost cause. That beautiful body is said to be free of rust issues, but the deterioration in the paint means that any serious restorer is going to be obliged to strip the entire body back to bare metal if a restoration is going to be completed properly. It appears that the majority of the external trim and chrome is present, although this will all require restoration. Thankfully, all of the Cord’s hubcaps come with the car, because I wouldn’t fancy trying to source replacements.

The Art Deco styling themes continue inside the Cord, with a highlight being the beautiful machine-turned dash and gauges. While the engine and transmission of the 812 was an engineering marvel, the interior didn’t escape the innovative features. There was a facility to allow the owner to check the engines oil level from inside the car, without the need to either exit the car or to open the hood. This was achieved by pressing a simple button on the fuel gauge. While the Cord was advertised as providing adequate room for 3-abreast seating, interior shoulder space can be tight, and an 812 really is a 4-seater. The interior of this 812 is complete, and I believe that the upholstery on the door trims might be original. I think that the seats have received new covers at some point. In spite of the exclusive nature of a car like the Cord, the fact that the interior is complete will theoretically make restoration no more expensive than for any other classic car.

Powering the Cord is a 288ci flathead V8 engine, producing 125hp. This power is then sent to the front wheels via a 4-speed semi-automatic transmission. It was here that we find both Cord’s greatest piece of engineering and the feature that was also the final nail in the coffin for this great manufacturer. In order to qualify for the November 1935 New York Auto Show, Cord was obliged to build 100 of its 810 model. They did this without the engineering for the transmission being complete. When the car appeared at the show in November of 1935, Cord took a huge number of orders, and having envisaging being able to produce 1,000 cars per month, promised delivery to their buyers by Christmas. Alas, it wasn’t to be. The new transmission was proving to be extremely troublesome, and the first cars were finally delivered in April of 1936, well behind schedule. Many potential buyers had canceled their orders, and Cord was in a precarious financial state. The 812 model update followed in 1937, but it was all too late. The engine in this 812 does run, and the transmission shifts cleanly. The brakes don’t work, so they will need some work, while the leaking water pump will also require a rebuild. Otherwise, it all looks positive for this car.

Before the ax finally fell on the Cord empire in 1937, the company had managed to produce 1,714 of the 812 model. This was a long way short of the 1,000-per-month build totals that they had originally envisaged. Some of their problems were due to the delays mentioned earlier, but many were due to the fact that Cord was attempting to sell an expensive product into a market that was hard-hit by the Great Depression. When it comes to values today, the “big ticket” cars are the 812 models with the supercharged engines. These can fetch prices of around $90,000. The normally-aspirated 812 is a slightly different creature. Prices of these seem to hover around the $60,000 mark, although they occasionally do sell for less. This one will need a lot of restoration work, but I would be willing to bet that if you took it on and completed it, you would almost certainly have the only one in your neighborhood.