Lot 128

Arizona 2017

1932 Cord L-29 Cabriolet

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$236,500 USD | Sold

United States | Phoenix, Arizona

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Chassis No.
4987
Serial No.
2930287
Engine No.
FFA 5206
  • Believed to have been the last Cord L-29 cabriolet built
  • The most desirable late-production specification; larger, more powerful “FF” engine
  • An Arizona resident since the 1970s; current ownership for 15 years
  • Multiple award-winner in Southwestern concours d’elegance
  • Ideal for Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club (ACD) and Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) activities

125 bhp, 322 cu. in. side-valve inline eight-cylinder engine, front-wheel drive, three-speed transmission, quarter-elliptical front leaf springs at the front, with rear semi-elliptical leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 137.5 in.

This cabriolet, serial number 2930287, was produced only some 20 units before the last Cord L-29 serial number and may well have been the final L-29 cabriolet built, as no other is known to have a later number. Like all L-29s from mid-1931 forward, it was equipped with the very desirable “FF” engine: a bored-out 322-cubic inch unit that was stronger than earlier versions, could reportedly produce more horsepower, and came with a more efficient exhaust manifold.

The Cord was acquired by its current owner from Thomas F. Olson of Scottsdale, who had completely restored it to original condition after inheriting it from his father, Robert, a resident of Paradise Valley. Robert S. Olson, the retired co-chairman of Ford Motor Credit Company, had acquired the L-29 in 1959, and eventually retired with it to Arizona. Altogether, the Cord has been in the Valley of the Sun since the early 1970s and in the present enthusiast's ownership for over 15 years.

While the car’s restoration is older, it remains extremely attractive; the rich cream and black finish is well preserved, aside from the expected minor chipping around the engine cover, and the blue leather interior is still beautiful. Chromed wire wheels and dual side-mounted spares, with fitted mirrors, as well as a black trunk, add to its period-correct flavor. Testament to its quality, the car has still been a favorite in Southwestern concours; it was exhibited in 2014 at the inaugural Arizona Concours d’Elegance, and later that year was an award-winner in the special Cord class at the Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance, in addition to receiving the Chairman’s Trophy.

The Cord front-drive cabriolet is one of the hottest and most desirable Full Classics on the market today. That offered here is a particular special and important example, as one of the last built and to the most desirable specification, now for sale for the first time in two decades.