The Cord 810 is undoubtedly one of the most influential automobiles of its era—and indeed, of all time. Its front-wheel-drive powertrain, with a Lycoming V-8 mated to a four-speed, electrically shifted pre-selector transmission, placed it decades ahead of the mainstream mechanically; its breathtaking design, attributed to Gordon Buehrig, emphasized the forward-looking nature of the car’s underlying technology with its blunt, louvered nose, “step-down” floor, unitary construction, hidden door hinges, and a total lack of running boards.
