Cord, the fabulous car brand, the choice of the rich and famous during Hollywood’s golden age, is on the market for a buyer who wants to resurrect this great name among car manufacturers worldwide.
Could the middle name of the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg trio be making a comeback soon? It certainly looks like it – this truly great American car brand is long overdue for a rebirth. The auction lot includes the entire package, the trademark itself, and the licensing and manufacturing rights to build new Cord cars.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Cord was a popular American luxury car brand, appearing with the L29 and 810/812 models such as the 1937 Cord Supercharged Sportsman. The brand did not survive the Great Depression and was sold to the Aviation Corporation, which tried to revive itself in the 1940s. Another small-scale revival took place in the 1960s.
Now that it’s available again, the Cord trademark can be used by a new customer to license Cord parts, model Cord-branded apparel and toys, or perhaps launch a new vehicle brand using the classic name.
In the 1930s, movie star owners such as Johnny Weissmuller, Al Jolson and Clark Gable were attracted to the ‘coffin nose’ Cords And tycoon Howard Hughes was impressed by the new technology used in cars with front-wheel drive, a new engine and suspension, as well as hidden headlights and door handles, all in a beautiful streamlined shape. Cord’s avant-garde design motivated the Museum of Modern Art in New York to honor the 810 as “an outstanding American contribution to automobile design” in 1951. The innovative coffin nose design left its mark on pop culture, inspiring the design of the original comic book version of the Batmobile and several Sony PlayStation video games and music. , books and movies like James Leasor Where are the spies? and The Godfather.
Could we see a Chinese automaker snap up the Cord brand and build on its cache and high sentimental value? Recently, this business has echoed for classic brands to find a new home in the modern world. The prestigious German brand Borgward closed in the 1960s, but was revived in 2015 by the Chinese company Beiqi Foton Motor. Chinese tour operator and short-term rental provider Ucar is acquiring a 67 percent stake in Borgward, the German brand revived by Beijing Truck. manufacturer Beiqi Foton Motor, for 4.11 billion yuan ($614 million).
The 812 Supercharged version shown here is powered by a 170 horsepower Lycoming V8. The 812 featured a unique front-wheel drive system that allowed the rest of the car to ride unusually low to the ground, which helped improve handling, and the 812 held the Indianapolis Motor Speedway average speed record (80 mph) , which stood its ground. until 1954.
Craig Corbell purchased the rights to the Cord name for $242,000 in late 2014 from the family of the late Glenn Pray, who had previously acquired the rights to Buehrig’s designs in the 1960s. For the past five years, Corbell said, he’s been “trotting around a lot and flying all over the place,” laying the groundwork for two separate vehicles that would bear the Cord name.
Speaking to Hemmings Classic Car Magazine in 2019, Mr. Corbell said that he had completed the introduction of prototypes for the Cord Revival project within a year, but decided to stop the project and put the rights to the Cord name up for sale again. in part, the lack of federal government guidelines for low-volume replica cars. 2022 brought a solution to the government guidelines, but the intervening years started it in a new direction, it was diverted towards real estate development. “Being a visionary myself, my desire is for the Cord brand to find itself in the hands of someone who will truly revitalize it, much like Stephen Wynne did for the Delorean Motor Company.
The new buyer secures the trademark itself, as well as the licensing and manufacturing rights for the Cord car. Cord & Kruse is offering the mark for sale at minimum and no reserve at the Dan Kruse Classics auction to be held in Midland, Texas on June 17th. Additional no minimum reserve offerings include (11) pristine antebellum antiques from a New Mexico estate.
Joining those crossing the Dan Kruse auction block on Saturday, June 17th, two vehicles attracted interest, a 1963 Volvo 122S Amazon custom coupe sold by Flat 12 Gallery’s Jeff Allen, aka “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”. Its lineage includes winning the 2018 Golden Ticket at the OUISCI SEMA Show, breaking the world record for the highest price paid for a Volvo, fetching $150,000 when it was auctioned off for charity by Barrett-Jackson in 2018, and starring in Fast & Furious. Presented by Hobbs & Shaw Movie in 2019 and Netflix’s Drive Hard: The Maloof Way in 2022, where Lingenfelter’s Chevy LS7 V8 engine took victory, Adam Carollat behind the wheel of the Paul Newman’s Cup Porsche 911 in an open road race. This Volvo joins at least a dozen other cars from the Flat 12 Gallery Screen Used Collection.
And finally, a unique opportunity to own a one-of-a-kind 1963 Ford Galaxie R-Code 500 XL Convertible. It was produced in February 1963, a prototype built in Los Angeles 3 months before factory production. Dan Kruse has been in the auction industry since 1964 and is widely regarded as one of the top auctioneers in the world, holding many sales records. Vehicles are offered live and online at proxibid.com
