Supercharged 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton

It subsequently is said to have earned second place in the American 1925-1940 Open category at the 2004 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, as well as additional Concours awards in California in the 2000s before it was purchased by the selling dealer in 2009. The car is finished in black over burgundy leather upholstery, and power comes from a 288ci Lycoming V8 topped with a Schwitzer-Cummins centrifugal supercharger and mated to a vacuum-operated four-speed pre-selector transaxle. Features include external exhaust pipes, independent front suspension, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, 16″ steel wheels with whitewall radial tires, a black soft top, manually operated pop-up headlights, rear-hinged doors, and an AM radio.

This supercharged Cord 812 is now offered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with an owner’s manual, ACD Club documentation, a pair of uninstalled bumper-mounted driving lights, service records from 2009 to the present, and an Arizona title. The Cord 810 was introduced in late 1935 for the 1936 model year and returned for 1937 as the 812 before the Auburn Automobile Company ceased manufacture of the Cord marque. Gordon Buehrig-penned styling includes a “coffin-nose” front profile with a louvered wraparound grille, a rear-hinged hood, hideaway headlights raised via dash-mounted hand cranks, concealed door hinges, and a split windshield.

Six body styles were offered in 1937, each of which was available as a supercharged variant distinguished visually by external exhaust pipes on each side of the hood. The Central Manufacturing Company-built phaeton bodywork on this example was reportedly delivered from the factory in Cigarette Cream, and it was repainted black during the refurbishment. Features include chrome bumpers and rear fender stone guards, rear-hinged doors, pop-up headlights, a black soft top, and a locking fuel door.

The convertible top latches were repaired in 2026. The 16″ body-color steel wheels wear chrome covers, and they are wrapped in Coker Classic whitewall radial tires. A matching spare wheel with a bias-ply whitewall tire is stowed in the trunk.

Suspension incorporates a trailing-arm independent front setup with a transverse leaf spring and a solid rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs. Stopping is handled by Bendix four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. April 2025 brake work included a fluid change, a new master cylinder cap gasket, and a system adjustment.

The cabin features front seats and a rear bench trimmed in burgundy pleated leather, along with matching door panels. Black carpets line the floors, and amenities include an AM radio, a Cord-branded under-dash speaker, dual gloveboxes, a dash-mounted rearview mirror, roll-up side windows, and retractable rear quarter windows. The cream-color three-spoke steering wheel features a bright horn ring and shares its column with a Bendix “electric hand” gear selector at the driver’s right.

A machine-turned dash fascia houses instrumentation including a 150-mph speedometer, a 5k-rpm tachometer, a clock, and gauges monitoring coolant temperature, fuel level, oil pressure, and amperage. The fuel gauge features a button-operated setting that provides a readout for oil level. The five-digit odometer shows 89k miles, approximately 300 of which were added under current ownership.

The 288ci V8 features three main bearings, aluminum cylinder heads, and side valves angled at a near-horizontal position and is topped with a Schwitzer-Cummins centrifugal supercharger and a single Stromberg carburetor. Output was factory rated at 170 horsepower for supercharged examples. The coolant and oil were changed in April 2025, and work performed in May 2026 included replacing the spark plugs and ignition condenser in addition to rebuilding the carburetor.

Engine stamping FC2128 is shown above, and it matches the number listed on the chassis tag and accompanying Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Club documentation. It is also the number by which the car is titled. Power is transferred to the front wheels by a Detroit Gear four-speed manual transaxle mounted ahead of the engine.

Gear changes are preselected via the column-mounted electrical switch and are set into action when the depression of the clutch pedal completes the electrical circuit that actuates vacuum cylinders on the transaxle unit. The clutch was adjusted in 2026. The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Club Verification of Origins certificate is presented above, and lists the original component numbers and colors corresponding to serial number 31614H.

Additional ACD Club documentation can be seen in the gallery.