Few automobiles capture the elegance and imagination of the Art Deco era quite like the classic Cord. With its flowing bodywork, unusual engineering and unmistakable front-end design, the Cord looks less like an ordinary automobile and more like a rolling work of art.
Even today, a Cord attracts attention wherever it appears.
The Beginning of the Cord Automobile
The Cord automobile was named after entrepreneur E. L. Cord, whose business interests included Auburn, Duesenberg and several other transportation companies.
Introduced in 1929, the Cord L-29 became the first successful mass-produced American automobile to use front-wheel drive. This engineering arrangement allowed the car to sit lower than many competing luxury automobiles, giving it a long and graceful appearance.
The L-29 was produced in several elegant body styles, including sedans, cabriolets and open touring cars. Its long hood, low roofline and sweeping fenders made it one of the most distinctive luxury automobiles of its time.
The Revolutionary Cord 810
Cord returned with an even more dramatic automobile for 1936—the Cord 810.
Designed by Gordon Buehrig with assistance from Vince Gardner, the Cord 810 featured a remarkably low silhouette, front-wheel drive and unitized body construction. It was also the first production automobile to feature retractable headlights.
Its wide horizontal grille wrapped around the front of the car, creating the famous shape that later became known as the “coffin nose.” The absence of a traditional upright radiator grille helped make the Cord appear unusually clean, streamlined and modern.
The 1937 Cord 812
The Cord 812 followed in 1937 and continued the dramatic styling of the 810. Available in several body styles, the 810 and 812 became the final automobiles produced by the Cord division of the Auburn Automobile Company.
Although Cord production ended in 1937, the design never disappeared from automotive history. The automobile’s hidden headlights, low profile, sculpted fenders and horizontal grille influenced generations of automobile designers.
Why the Cord Remains Special
The classic Cord represents a time when automobile manufacturers were willing to experiment with bold engineering and imaginative styling.
It combined several qualities that collectors still appreciate:
Elegant Art Deco styling
Innovative front-wheel-drive engineering
A low and dramatic profile
Distinctive hidden headlights
Beautiful convertible and sedan body styles
A strong connection to America’s luxury-car era
The Cord was not simply transportation. It was a statement about progress, style and the future.
The Cord as Automotive Art
Classic automobiles make wonderful subjects for artwork because every curve, reflection and chrome detail tells part of their story. The Cord is especially inspiring because its shape is instantly recognizable.
Its long hood, sweeping fenders and unusual grille create a strong composition for vintage automobile wall art. Placed in a historic street scene, an Art Deco setting or an elegant period driveway, the Cord becomes a reminder of an era when automobiles were designed with personality.
My classic automobile artwork celebrates these remarkable vehicles and the craftsmanship that made them memorable. Each image is created to preserve the character of the automobile while presenting it as decorative art for a home, office, garage or automobile enthusiast’s collection.
This is the SAMCO 1969 Cord. Link: https://www.pictorem.com/2710590/1969-samco-cord-vintage-car-wall-art/
This is a 1936 Cord. Link: https://www.pictorem.com/2638201/1936-cord-classic-car-wall-art/
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