1931 Cord L-29 Cabriolet

3916roadUnited States

Engine: 298.6 cu in L-head inline-eight, 125 bhp, front-wheel drive with three-speed manual

A 1930–31 Cord L-29 Cabriolet, the first significant American production car to employ front-wheel drive, notable for its low-slung body and flat-floored interior made possible by the absence of a driveshaft tunnel. This example retains its original chassis, engine, body, and identifying tags as delivered in 1931. Its documented history extends to 1946, passing through several Ohio-based owners before spending three decades in a private Western American museum. The car subsequently received a comprehensive, show-quality restoration by a German specialist.

Ownership

—Auction sale
Sold US$187,000
RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →
1946 →Private sale
Mr. Huffey of Cincinnati, Ohio
partial documentation
Acquired the cabriolet for $750; earliest documented ownership in the chain.
→ 1953
Various short-term owners following Mr. Huffey
none documentation
Multiple brief custodians between the first recorded owner and the 1953 purchase; no individual names given.
1953 →Private sale
Jerry Fisher of Piqua, Ohio
partial documentation
Took ownership when the car was mostly intact but missing its hood and a few minor components.
1969 →Acquisition unknown
Hubert Wood of South Charleston, Ohio
partial documentation
Carried out an informal restoration on the vehicle during this period.
1980 → 2013Acquisition unknown
Private museum owner in the American West
partial documentation
Drove the car to a personal museum collection where it remained stored for over three decades.
2013 →Acquisition unknown
European private owner
partial documentation
Commissioned a full concours-level rebuild by a specialist workshop in Bremen, Germany, covering mechanical, cosmetic, and trim elements.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

1969Restoration
Hubert Wood
An amateur-level restoration was carried out by Hubert Wood of South Charleston, Ohio.
—Restoration
Packard and Classic Cars
Comprehensive show-quality restoration encompassing full disassembly; frame sandblasted and powder-coated; suspension components stripped and refinished; complete engine overhaul with new bearings, pistons, rings, camshaft, and reworked crankshaft and block; cooling, electrical, and transmission systems rebuilt or serviced; all sheet metal and fenders properly finished; new interior woodwork; four-coat paintwork; re-plated brightwork; dashboard rebuilt; new wiring harnesses; wheels restored and repainted; new leather interior to original patterns with rumble seat; new top bows and canvas hood fitted; custom-fabricated parts where originals were unavailable.
Work carried out in Bremen, Germany during the current European ownership, which began after 2013.

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