Cord - 1931

Cord was the brand name of a United States automobile, manufactured by the Auburn Automobile Company from 1929 through 1932 and again in 1936 and 1937.

The Cord Corporation was founded and run by E. L. Cord as a holding company for his many transportation interests, including Auburn. Cord was noted for its innovative technology and streamlined designs. It is said^{[citation needed]} Cord had a philosophy to build truly different, innovative cars, believing they would also sell well and turn a profit. This did not always work well in practice.

Cord innovations include front wheel drive on the L-29 and retractable headlights on the 810 and 812.

Front wheel drive became common in the United States only in the 1980s, though Citroën introduced the Traction Avant in 1934, Ford offered it in certain models of its German-built Taunus, and General Motors sold the front wheel drive Oldsmobile Toronado in 1966 and Cadillac Eldorado in 1967. As personal luxury cars, these two GM models, especially the Toronado, were undoubtedly influenced by Cord.

Retractable headlamps did not become common as a standard feature until the 1960s (though DeSoto used them in 1942). The early Oldsmobile Toronados, whose GM stylists later stated they were trying to capture the "feel" of the Cord's design, also featured retractable headlights.

Cord L-29

This was the first American front-wheel drive car to be offered to the public, beating the Ruxton automobile by several months, in 1929.^[1] The brainchild of former Miller engineer Carl Van Ranst, its drive system borrowed from the Indianapolis 500-dominating racers, using the same de Dion layout and inboard brakes.^[1] This allowed it to be much lower than competing cars. Both stock cars and special bodies built on the Cord chassis by American and European coachbuilders won prizes in contests worldwide.

It was powered by Auburn's 4,934 cc (301 cu in) 125 hp (93 kW) Lycoming^[2] inline 8 from the Auburn 120,^[1] with the crankshaft pushed out through the front of the block and the flywheel mounted there,^[1] driving a three-speed transmission. Gearing in both transmission and front axle was inadequate, and the 42 hundredweight^[1] (4,700 lb (2,100 kg)) car was underpowered, limited to a trifle over 80 mph (130 km/h),^[1] inadequate even at the time, and readily exceeded by the less expensive Auburn.^[1]

Still, the styling was lovely, and despite the 137.5 in (3,490 mm) wheelbase and steering demanding fully four turns lock-to-lock, handling was reportedly superb.^[1] Priced around US$3000, it was competitive with Marmon, Lincoln, Packard, Franklin, and Stutz;^[1] the 1930 Chrysler copied several styling elements.^[2] It could not outrun the Great Depression, and by 1932, it was discontinued, with just 4,400 sold.^[1]