1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Phaeton
At the 1935 New York Auto Show, crowds surrounding the new Cord 810 grew so deep that spectators climbed onto neighboring displays for a better view. The front-wheel drive design featured sleek, aircraft-inspired styling that distinguished it from contemporary automobiles.
For 1937, the final production year, Cord offered an optional supercharger for the first time, raising output to about 170 horsepower. These supercharged 812 models could be fitted with external exhaust pipes that became the configuration’s most recognizable feature.
The Phaeton body style combined open-air motoring with the technical sophistication of Cord’s engineering. Factory-supercharged examples are identified by a “3” prefix in their serial numbers. Despite the advanced specifications and dramatic appearance, Depression-era economics limited sales.
The supercharger’s single-year availability and the company’s closure after 1937 production make these configurations particularly significant in American automotive history. Original accessories included Cord-badged amber driving lights and the rarely seen factory compass.
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