The author (above) began his journey in Virginia at the wheel of a Cord 812 convertible coupe he borrowed for the occasion (left). Although the car didn’t make it all the way on its own four wheels, it was back in action shortly after its arrival in Auburn.
So when I learned that dozens of Cords would be converging on Auburn, Indiana, in September 2011 to celebrate the 810’s 75th an- niversary, I asked my friend Charlie Montano if he would consider driving his 812 convertible coupe from his place in Gloversville, New York, to Auburn. “I don’t have time,” he said, “but you can take the car. I’ll drive it a little first to be sure it’s OK.” A capable restorer who does most of his own work, Charlie in- stalled new pistons, rings and bearings, plus new cylinder heads. He
changed the belts, fitted a PerTronix electronic ignition, checked the wheels for cracks (a chronic Cord problem), replaced two of them and fitted four new Diamondback radial whitewalls. Reliable Carriers, Inc. picked up the Cord and brought it to me in Virginia. My friend, Al Mason, himself an accomplished restorer, agreed to co-drive. We planned a three-day, 716-mile drive with overnights in Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, where we’d join up with fellow Cord Convoy participants.
Setting off with high hopes, I was finally driving the car of my childhood dreams. With its Bendix vacuum- electric pre-selector four-speed transmission, the Cord is a challenge until you learn the technique. Flip the gearlever into first, engage the clutch, release it, and you’re off. Pre-select second and when you’re ready to shift, depress the clutch pedal and slowly release it. You’ll hear a “clunk” as the next gear is engaged. Downshifting is the reverse from fourth to third. When stopping, apply the brakes, keep the clutch in, select first and slowly release the clutch when you’re ready to go. Don’t use neutral. It’s counterintuitive to the way you’ve always operated a manual transmis- sion. But if you shift it like a conventional manual, you’ll get stuck in a false neutral.
Under way, the supercharged Cord felt peppy and responsive. Heavy at low speeds, the steering became nicely balanced on the highway. Our 812 cruised comfortably at 2,000 rpm in fourth at 70 mph, and it felt like a newer car. In period, Cords were genu- ine 100-plus-mph performers; in a supercharged 812 sedan, endurance racer Ab Jenkins averaged nearly 80 mph for 24 hours in 1937 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to win the Stevens Trophy. Our route took us through Cumberland, Maryland, across part of West Virginia and up into Pennsylvania. People everywhere waved and gave us the thumbs-up.
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