At the Mecum auction in mid-August, the two-seat coupe-convertible Cord 812 Supercharged Sportsman will be on the block. This classic car is one of only 64 ever assembled by the American company Auburn. It is expected to sell in the area of $325,000, but it's important to know that the high price is not just about its rarity.

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Auctioned Cord 812 Supercharged Sportsman Features

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Source: Mecum

The car had been completely restored some time ago, including the frame on which the body is based. Since then, this copy has managed to win several exhibitions precisely as a fully authentic representation of its model.

The Cord brand offered the 812 in 1937, featuring a compressor motor. The coupe-convertible was equipped with a 4.7-liter eight-cylinder engine, which developed 170 hp and worked with a four-speed semi-automatic gearbox.

The dynamic characteristics were impressive for that time. The supercharged engine accelerates the car to 60 mph in 13 seconds, thereby bringing the Cord 812 to the list of the fastest American cars of that time — and the maximum speed reached 110 mph.

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Auctioned Cord 812 Supercharged Sportsman Design And History

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Source: Mecum

In addition, the design of the model has an independent front suspension and front-wheel drive, which was extremely rare at that time. For the unusual exterior of the body in the Art Deco style from the famous designer Gordon Bührig, auctioneers call this convertible one of the most beautiful cars in the world. The interior of this 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Convertible Coupe is trimmed in pleated tan leather on the seats and door panels, and maroon wool carpeting covers the floors.

Auburn Automobile founded the Cord brand in 1929. It was named after Errett Lobban Cord, whose holding company included the Auburn company. It was assumed that the features of the Cord brand models will be technical innovations and offer drivers premium comfort. However, the company did not survive the economic crisis of the first half of the 20th century, and not able to survive the Great Depression.

In 1937, Cord sold the car company to Dallas Winslow. Winslow tried to create Cord 814, but it didn't go beyond prototype 1. The existing finished bodies and the right to produce the 812 models were bought by Hupmobile, but they did not achieve much success either.

Source: Mecum