1937 Cord 812 Phaeton Convertible

The Royal Automobile Club’s Pall Mall Clubhouse is renowned for the many unique and iconic cars it regularly has on display in the Rotunda, but I was particularly struck by the 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton Convertible that was recently on show, with its louvered, wraparound grill, nicknamed the “coffin nose” and styling derived from contemporary aeroplanes coupled with its interesting history, having been owned by aviator Amelia Earhart. Perhaps it was the car’s concealed headlamps that were actually aircraft landing lights, produced by Stinson Aircraft Company, raised and lowered with cranks located on either side of that streamlined dashboard, that made it so appealing to Earhart.

It was on meeting the car’s owner Jack Boyd Smith Jr., at the Club one evening whilst admiring the Cord, that inspired me to write an article on this unique and rare historic vehicle.

Only around 3,000 of the 810/812 series were made before production stopped in August 1937 after only two years. But the car’s design proved to be timeless together with its innovative engineering, being front wheel drive, which was a first for the American automotive industry. This in turn eliminated the need for a driveshaft under the passenger compartment, allowing the roof of to be just five feet off the ground.

The car was fitted with a large 4.4-litre Lycoming V8 and four-speed gearbox and independent front transmission, which gave it a power output of 125 hp and top speed of 70 mph. The Cord was originally priced at $2,195.

The Cord 812 Phaeton was unveiled at the New York Auto Show in 1935 with luxury and performance reimagined in the shadow of the Great Depression.

Automotive Hall of Fame inductee Gordon Miller Buehrig was the designer behind the 810/812 series Cords. He was also credited with the body design of both Auburn’s 851 Boattail Speedster and the Duesenberg Model J.

Some of the innovative features on the Cord included the hidden door hinges, a rear-hinged bonnet that made the Cord’s coffin-nose possible, concealed pontoon-style bumpers and the exclusion of running boards.

Sadly, less than a year before her disappearance over the Pacific in 1937, Earhart posed for a picture with this Cord 812 Phaeton and the twin-engine Lockheed 10E Electra plane in which she was lost.

Earhart’s widower, George Palmer Putnam, then sold the Cord within a year of her disappearance. Since then, the car has passed through various hands until it was acquired by The JBS Collection in 2018.

The car was then returned to its original specification and former glory through the meticulous craftsmanship of LaVine Restorations of Nappanee in Indiana, a process that took over two years.

The JBS Collection immediately took the newly restored Cord to the 2021 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it participated in the famed Tour d’Elegance drive before the JBS Collection team presented the car for judging at the Concours D’elegance, where the Concours judges awarded the restored vehicle a ‘Second in its Class Award,’ Class C, American Classic Category.

In 2023 this fully restored 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton Convertible became the 33^rd vehicle to be inducted into the National Historic Vehicle Register.

This year the JBS Collection brought the Cord over to the UK, where it took both First and Second Place in the ‘Best Pre-1940 American Coachbuilt Car’ category at the 2024 Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace at the end of August.

Jack Boyd Smith Jr. commented on the win by saying:

“There is such a beautiful atmosphere at Hampton Court Palace – the majesty of this place and this event is simply second-to-none. It’s a big honour to win any awards at a show like this one. To take both first and second place in the same category is one of those things where it certainly lets you know that you’re doing something right. This has been a tremendous season for us, and we’re thankful we had the chance to be at Hampton Court to present two of our automobiles. As always, we continue to work to build the collection and plan for future shows. Our goal is, and always will be, to share our historic and rare vehicles with as many people as we possibly can all over the world.”

He goes on to say:

“Both of the automobiles we brought to Hampton Court are, I think, very representative of who we are as a collection. We’re a bold, hard-working American collection – and we’re rising. I’m proud of that. The Cord is essentially a rolling memorial to a woman who is an absolute American icon. Amelia Earhart was way ahead of her time in so many ways. I am so thankful to have been able to – with the help of my partners at LaVine Restorations – restore both of these incredible vehicles and bring them back to life. It was a huge thrill to show the Cord at Hampton Court, and we are equally proud of our Imperial 8 for – once again – representing our collection so very well.”

For more information on The JBS Collection, please visit: www.thejbscollection.com.

Author Bio:

Simon Burrell is a UK-based motoring and travel journalist and editor, a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers and former saloon car racing driver.

Photographs courtesy of The Royal Automobile Club and The JBS Collection