Cord 812 Supercharged Phaeton
This dramatic convertible hid its headlights, drove its front wheels and let the driver choose the next gear with a tiny switch—all in 1937.
1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Phaeton - fvr (12823712025).jpg · Rex Gray · CC BY 2.0
More than a set of wheels.
Gordon Buehrig's Cord 810 shape caused a sensation for 1936. For 1937 the renamed 812 could add a centrifugal supercharger, announced visually by shiny external exhaust pipes. The five-seat Phaeton mixed that advanced powertrain with a disappearing convertible top and a low body that needed no running boards. Production ended in 1937, turning it into a brief but influential American experiment.
Look a little closer.
The headlights are raised by small hand cranks on the dashboard—hidden lamps without electric motors.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
A front-drive layout changes the shape
Putting the entire powertrain at the front removed the long driveshaft and rear transmission tunnel. Buehrig could make the body low enough to do without running boards, while the flat 'coffin nose' grille and concealed lamps kept the front clean. Independent front suspension helped each driven wheel follow the road.
Source: RM Sotheby's · 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Phaeton ↗Speed records after the factory had stopped
In September 1937, Ab Jenkins drove a supercharged Cord sedan to a 107.66 mph flying-mile record and covered nearly 2,500 miles in 24 hours at more than 101 mph including stops. The record car was a sedan, not this Phaeton, but it demonstrated what the same supercharged 812 architecture could endure just as Cord production was ending.
Source: Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum · 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged ↗Where these facts come from
- RM Sotheby's · 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Phaeton
- Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum · 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton
- American Heritage Museum · 1937 Cord Model 812 Phaeton
- Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum · 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.