1936 Cord 810 Phaeton
Revolutionary engineering met stunning artistry when Gordon Buehrig’s design team created the Cord 810 Phaeton, featuring a 288 cubic-inch Lycoming V8 engine producing 125 horsepower paired with front-wheel drive and America’s first production retractable headlights.
The car debuted at the November 1935 New York Auto Show, where crowds stood on other vehicles just to glimpse this radical departure from automotive convention. Its famous “coffin nose” grille replaced traditional radiator shells with horizontal louvers, while hidden door hinges and unit-body construction created an impossibly sleek profile.
Unfortunately, Auburn rushed production to meet the show deadline, and early cars suffered from transmission problems including slipping out of gear and cooling issues. The innovative four-speed pre-selector transmission, operated by a small lever on the steering column, proved problematic in early production.
Despite initial orders flooding in with promises of Christmas 1935 delivery, the first cars didn’t reach customers until April 1936. These mechanical troubles damaged the Cord’s reputation and contributed to Auburn Automobile Company’s demise, with production ending in 1937 after building fewer than 3,000 total units.
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