OK Solberg: 00:00

I wanna again welcome you to The 405 Coffee Break. Guys, get your cup of coffee, glass iced tea, bottle of water. Let's see what's happening on New Week.

OK Solberg: 00:07

Spring wheat drop below the $6 mark, $5.98 a bushel. 550lb steer calf not moving much right now. The top pairs in Billings listen. Write it down. The top pairs in Billings brought $5,350. What? Yes. And a 100lb fat lamb in Billings. I wish I could say more, but it's just sticking there. $2.91 a pound. But, guys, there's more much more.

OK Solberg: 00:40

Like I said, it's a new week. The sun is shining. Well, the grass is growing. Cattle prices are at record highs, and it's Monday. It's Jay & Joe's Motor Monday. Now you may not realize, but we've been doing this segment for a while now. The 1st Jay & Joe's Motor Monday was on 10/13/2025. Therefore, if you do the calculation, this is the 31st episode.

OK Solberg: 01:14

Today, we'll be highlighting the 1936 Cord 810, and yes, sir, even Jay Leno has one in his collection. In his collection of over a 181 automobiles, Jay Leno has his 1936 Cord, and it's listed in his seven crown jewels. In other words, since it ranks in the top 7 out of a 181, it means it's special with a capital S. Today, not only will we look at the 1936, but we'll look at the history of Cord Corporation.

OK Solberg: 01:55

But 1st, the bible verse to get us going from the 1st book of the bible, Genesis 45:19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, do this, take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives and bring your father and come. Again, Genesis forty five nineteen.

OK Solberg: 02:22

Well, guys, people throughout history needed a means of transportation. 1st, it was a wagon. Now it's the car. Listen. In the late 1920's when America still believed the road ahead would always be smooth, a young automobile empire rose out of the state of Indiana with chrome courage and confidence.

OK Solberg: 02:50

The name was Cord Corporation led by the ambitious and fast talking Errett Cord. And Mr. Cord did not intend to build ordinary automobiles. No, sir. He intended to build cars that looked like tomorrow. In 1929, the company introduced the Cord L-29.

OK Solberg: 03:14

Now please remember the year 1929. Uh-huh. The same year the stock market crashed. Yet here came the L-29 long, low, elegant, and unlike most American cars of its day, it used front wheel drive. That was nearly unheard of in America at that time, guys.

OK Solberg: 03:41

The design allowed the body to sit lower to the ground, giving the automobile a sleek European look years ahead of Detroit's fashion. The L-29 was produced from 1929 through 1932, But the Great Depression was tightening its grip on the nation, and luxury automobiles became difficult to sell. Even innovation could not overcome empty pocketbooks. Production stopped in 1932. For a time, the Cord automobile disappeared, but only for a time.

OK Solberg: 04:25

Then came the comeback In November 1935 at the New York Auto Show, Cord unveiled something that looked less like an automobile and more like a science fiction project, like a car of the future, the Cord 810. The new Cord featured hidden headlamps that rotated out of the fenders, smooth pontoon styling, no running boards, and a dramatic front grille that earned the nickname the coffin nose. And beneath that striking body was front wheel drive again. The 810 entered production for the 1936 model year. Then came the cord 812 for 1937.

OK Solberg: 05:15

The 812 added optional supercharging identified by bright chrome exhaust pipes curling out from the hood sides. Can you see it in your mind's eye? The automobile drew crowds every day everywhere it went. But alas, beauty and engineering brilliance do not always guarantee survival. Production delays plagued the company.

OK Solberg: 05:43

Early mechanical troubles hurt the car's reputation. Dealers grew frustrated. Customers waited months for delivery. And all of this unfolded while America was still struggling through the Great Depression by August 1937. Do you hear taps playing in the background?

OK Solberg: 06:07

The last Cord rolled off the assembly line in Connorsville, Indiana, August 1937. Before the year ended, automobile production tied to the Cord empire had effectively ceased. The Auburn Automobile Company went bankrupt, and the magnificent experiment came to an end.

OK Solberg: 06:33

In all, the Cord automobile had lived only a few short years, but what years they were, front wheel drive, hidden headlights, streamlined styling, unit body ideas, all appearing before most of the industry was ready. And today, well, today, nearly a century later, the cord still looks like the future arriving early. Oh, what a car. You gotta love it.

OK Solberg: 07:01

So until next time, as you go out there, remember now, don't be bitter.