How They Built Cars When Beauty Was All That Mattered

[Larry C]

Amelia Earhart, her 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton Convertible and the Lockheed Electra shortly before her ill-fated attempt to fly that incredible aircraft around the world in 1937.

After a 30-year intense restoration and acquisition project, her Cord Phaeton was revealed to the world last week on March 5th at the 2023 Amelia Concours d’Elegance in Florida, at which time it was announced that the spectacular automobile had been added to the National Historic Vehicle Register.

Some excellent photos of the car in the Hagerty article! The instrument panel and the gauges are alone worth the look.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/amel ... d568259d8a


Amelia Earhart - 1937 Cord - Lockheed Electra .jpeg

Beautiful car. The ashtray alone is drool worthy. Tim, thanks for the photos!

[Tom]

Amelia Earhart, her 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton Convertible and the Lockheed Electra shortly before her ill-fated attempt to fly that incredible aircraft around the world in 1937.

After a 30-year intense restoration and acquisition project, her Cord Phaeton was revealed to the world last week on March 5th at the 2023 Amelia Concours d’Elegance in Florida, at which time it was announced that the spectacular automobile had been added to the National Historic Vehicle Register.

Some excellent photos of the car in the Hagerty article! The instrument panel and the gauges are alone worth the look.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/amel ... d568259d8a


Amelia Earhart - 1937 Cord - Lockheed Electra .jpeg

I was introduced to Porsches in my late teens by a friend whose father was one of the early high-tech pioneers. They had a 356 and a very early '76 Turbo Carrera -- I honestly can't remember which I got to ride in first (fairly sure it was he 356), but it turned my on to Porsches ever since. He still has both by the way, and they both look brand new. Anyway, once he was old enough to buy his own car, this was the car he bought, with virtually the same color and look. His is supercharged and looked/looks brand new to me, though he assures me it's not on par with national show winners. None of us 'got it' back then -- since he could have had a Ferrari or Lambo or other teen-approved car -- but he would go on an on about all the automotive 'firsts' in the Cord (like pop up headlights) and how Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg cars advanced cars like few others. The guy was wise beyond his years. They are rolling works of art (and surprisingly cramped inside for such a hulking machine....). Thanks for posting this, brings back good memories.

[blueline]

Amelia Earhart, her 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton Convertible and the Lockheed Electra shortly before her ill-fated attempt to fly that incredible aircraft around the world in 1937.

After a 30-year intense restoration and acquisition project, her Cord Phaeton was revealed to the world last week on March 5th at the 2023 Amelia Concours d’Elegance in Florida, at which time it was announced that the spectacular automobile had been added to the National Historic Vehicle Register.

Some excellent photos of the car in the Hagerty article! The instrument panel and the gauges are alone worth the look.

https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/amel ... d568259d8a


Amelia Earhart - 1937 Cord - Lockheed Electra .jpeg

I was introduced to Porsches in my late teens by a friend whose father was one of the early high-tech pioneers. They had a 356 and a very early '76 Turbo Carrera -- I honestly can't remember which I got to ride in first (fairly sure it was he 356), but it turned my on to Porsches ever since. He still has both by the way, and they both look brand new. Anyway, once he was old enough to buy his own car, this was the car he bought, with virtually the same color and look. His is supercharged and looked/looks brand new to me, though he assures me it's not on par with national show winners. None of us 'got it' back then -- since he could have had a Ferrari or Lambo or other teen-approved car -- but he would go on an on about all the automotive 'firsts' in the Cord (like pop up headlights) and how Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg cars advanced cars like few others. The guy was wise beyond his years. They are rolling works of art (and surprisingly cramped inside for such a hulking machine....). Thanks for posting this, brings back good memories.

Wow Tom - that's a fantastic exclamation point to the Cord/Amelia Earhart story. How cool is it that you were able to be around a Cord such as that. Great way to be influenced and glad you and your friend got it!

In case it was overlooked, down near the end of the article is an embed with 65 excellent pics of the Cord at Amelia last week. Lots to drool over as Larry said!

[ROB III]

If you like Art Deco cars, check out From Passion to Perfection, The story of French Streamlined Styling 1930-1939, by Richard Adatto, ISBN: 2-912838-22-3
Another car that was a one off that was thought lost but surfaced in Indiana (I think) years ago is the 1932 Bucciali TAV8-32 Saoutchik ‘Fleche d’Or’ . I went to Pebble Beach for about 10 years straight when I lived in California and learned to appreciate the Art Deco coachbuilt cars, and the Buccialli finally made it to Pebble, but I no longer lived there so missed the car, but its definitely interesting.

[blueline]

If you like Art Deco cars, check out From Passion to Perfection, The story of French Streamlined Styling 1930-1939, by Richard Adatto, ISBN: 2-912838-22-3
Another car that was a one off that was thought lost but surfaced in Indiana (I think) years ago is the 1932 Bucciali TAV8-32 Saoutchik ‘Fleche d’Or’ . I went to Pebble Beach for about 10 years straight when I lived in California and learned to appreciate the Art Deco coachbuilt cars, and the Buccialli finally made it to Pebble, but I no longer lived there so missed the car, but its definitely interesting.

Rob, that was one I knew nothing about. The name TAV8 seemed familiar but that's probably just short-circuited synapses...

A bit of a convoluted history for the big car, that's for sure. Almost 6,400 lbs, V12, FWD (!),19' long. (That's longer than a 1959 Eldorado Biarritz convertible.)

https://www.supercars.net/blog/1932-buc ... leche-dor/

It is a low-slung, one-of-a-kind beaut -

1932_Bucciali_TAV832SaoutchikFlechedOr3 (#1).jpg (202.56 KiB) Viewed 212 times

1932_Bucciali_TAV832SaoutchikFlechedOr3 (#2).jpg (175.57 KiB) Viewed 212 times

[Thom]

Bugattis are my holy grail of cars. A friend of my late father who has always been into these built a now world-renowned series of Atlantic replicas often considered better than the originals, but then only two originals remain and since they were made nearly a century ago they may well have lost most of their soul through several ground up restorations. I have driven a Type 51, a Type 55 and regularly get to see Bugattis up close. All the DIY owners I know have several decade experience making parts with their own lathe and turning machines, and even then the cars remain a challenge to run, as they were all hand made and every new reproduced part must be tailored to fit any existing car... I wish they were just not so challenging to own and to run, but then this is part of their mystique and appeal. They are a case of automotive religion where ownership requires an involvement deeper than any other exotic brand I can think of, at least for non-billionnaires or non-collectors who are well into long term ownership and actually drive them. They are more machines moving themselves on wheels than "cars" in the more modern, post war and industrialised sense of the term. I cannot think of a more exhilirating drive than a Grand Prix Bugatti, especially over 100 mph... Driving one for the first time is pretty much like losing virginity and may completely recalibrate what we may expect and want from a car. If you ever have the chance to secure even just a passenger ride, just jump at it. The issue may be that your much-loved German car may well feel as attractive and sexy as a dishwasher afterwards...

[blueline]

Bugattis are my holy grail of cars. A friend of my late father who has always been into these built a now world-renowned series of Atlantic replicas often considered better than the originals, but then only two originals remain and since they were made nearly a century ago they may well have lost most of their soul through several ground up restorations. I have driven a Type 51, a Type 55 and regularly get to see Bugattis up close. All the DIY owners I know have several decade experience making parts with their own lathe and turning machines, and even then the cars remain a challenge to run, as they were all hand made and every new reproduced part must be tailored to fit any existing car... I wish they were just not so challenging to own and to run, but then this is part of their mystique and appeal. They are a case of automotive religion where ownership requires an involvement deeper than any other exotic brand I can think of, at least for non-billionnaires or non-collectors who are well into long term ownership and actually drive them. They are more machines moving themselves on wheels than "cars" in the more modern, post war and industrialised sense of the term. I cannot think of a more exhilirating drive than a Grand Prix Bugatti, especially over 100 mph... Driving one for the first time is pretty much like losing virginity and may completely recalibrate what we may expect and want from a car. If you ever have the chance to secure even just a passenger ride, just jump at it. The issue may be than your much-loved German car may well feel as attractive and sexy as a dishwasher afterwards...

That's another pretty special part of automotive history you've been able to experience. The Bugattis!! Doubt I'll ever get to ride in one but I can definitely appreciate your "sexy dishwasher" comment. It's on the money!

PS - Thanks for sharing your experiences with them! Pretty special.

[ROB III]

Thom,
Thanks for the description and articulation of the experience. Drivers cars have personalities, temperaments, and traits....that is what makes them exciting and desirable in my perspective. The variability of the traits from car to car is what makes the experience so rich in challenges and rewarding to learn and work with the traits to get the most out of the available performance envelope. The engineering of Bugatti's is amazing given the time frame, and still to this day a wonder! Have you ever driven a Pur Sang from Argentina? If so, how did it compare to the real thing?

[Thom]

The 51 I drove was in fact a Pur Sang replica but "upgraded" with many original parts, looked and drove really well as far I could tell. The 55 was an original one and even if the powertrain is the same as on the 51 it is a far heavier car due to its full bodywork with large and purposeful fenders. Comparing them is a difficult exercise that probably makes little sense as, as you say, each of these cars has so much personality that they don't necessarily talk the same language, if that makes sense. Performance wise it was clear that I was not going to take any risk speeding with the multi million $ pride and joy of an owner who was generous enough already to let me have a drive after waiting several decades for a painstaking ground up restoration. I didn't drive the 51 that fast either, but passengered during a rather intense rally as the owner was pushing it as much as he could. What both cars clearly had in common however were the lightness and instant response of the controls. Contrary to what one may expect the steering is very quick and driving a Grand Prix Bugatti at high speeds requires a serious amount of concentration to keep the car (about) straight, especially with a very fast throttle response not too dissimilar from that of a modern sportbike (barely exagerating here). They really were the Formula 1 of the early days, and command much respect once building speed.
The finish on the originals was certainly better than on the Pur Sang, which tells a lot about how expensive they were at a time where technology was not what it is today. The front axle for instance was made/shaped out of a complicated process and always was a challenge to reproduce for anyone who has tried. I hear from owners that Pur Sang have taken liberties with some aspects as they lacked the resource to reproduce exactly all the details designed by "Le Patron" who had a tendancy to go well over the deep end for the artist's sake, while he could have spent more time on technical solutions that we could consider today a little idiotic, such as the peculiar firing orders of the engines... but again these cars would not be what they are without their own idiosyncracies.

[ROB III]

Thom, thanks for the insight. The sport bike analogy made it very clear.
I find your comment about the finish of the Pur Sang is lacking compared the originals very telling.
THANK YOU!