Lot Ended
Description
1965 Cord 8/10 Sportsman
Cord factory built
car; Corvair power plant; a genuine 'continuation Cord' from the ACD
factory
This 1964 Cord is just that, a proper
Cord and not some replica or kit car - a genuine Cord Sportsman made at the Cord
factory in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The car was the
brainchild of Glen Pray, the then owner of the A-C-D Company
(Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg). A fascinating character, he purchased the original
company and associated rights in 1960 and produced a number of designs over the
years. He was also the subject of several books, including ‘Glen Pray. The Man
Who Brought Legends To Life’ and ‘Glen Pray – The Untold
Stories’.
Part of the deal included a mass of
associated spare parts, for cars dating back to the 1930s. He was able to supply
these as a business and keep numerous Auburns and Cords on the road when they
otherwise would have been lost.
One of his
ambitions was to build new cars. He launched the Sportsman, an 8/10th
scale version of the stunning Buehrig-designed coffin-nose Cord Phaeton. He was
able to use a number of parts from his original stock, mounted on a new chassis
which was powered by the flat-6 Corvair air-cooled motor mounted up front,
driving the front wheels.
The bodywork mimicked
the Cord Phaeton closely, but Pray chose a brand-new ABS thermoplastic for the
bodywork call ‘Royalite’ patented by UniRoyal. This is NOT fibreglass. Royalite
is still in common usage on boats, canoes, aircraft and cars and is light,
extremely strong and long lasting.
He managed
to produce 97 examples before the finances of making such low volumes of cars
got the better of him. His successors in the business managed a further 13,
before changing the design (for the worse).
The
problem was that they cost the same as an E-Type Jaguar and twice the price of a
TR or MGB so it was always going to be an uphill struggle to make a business of
it.
In a nice twist of fate, Pray’s son now
owns the company name and is still running the business restoring cars and
suppling cars from the A-C-D concern.
This
particular Cord Sportsman was imported from the USA in late 1989 and was UK
registered in August 1990. It has changed hands a few times since, the owner
purchasing it on a whim 18 months ago, although he has now decided that it is
probably one car too many.
It is fitted
with a normally-aspirated 2.7-litre Chevrolet Corvair flat-6 which has a
single 4-barrel Holly carburettor. These motors are light, powerful and
extremely reliable, finding favour in a number of light-aircraft designs. Parts
are also cheap and plentiful.
We are told that
the chassis has faired well and is solid and sound and the body, being ABS is
also solid and bright. There are a few areas of chrome and paintwork which could
be improved, although it is all going to last a lifetime.
Twin stainless exhausts are fitted and the interior is complete but
could do with a little tidying here and there, but nothing
major.
The vendor has added magnetic wireless
lights for the side, brake and indicators front and rear, which can be unclipped
if so desired, but they do add piece of mind.
Described by Pray as a ‘Second Generation’ Cord, this is a most
unusual beast and likely to be the only one in the UK. An equivalent Cord
Phaeton from the 1930s is going to set you back well over £150,000, making this
interesting factory-built car look something of a bargain – and probably just as
much fun!
For more information – contact
matthew.parkin@brightwells.com
* All charges are subject to VAT