September 04, 2012
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Thank you to everyone who commented on the “Name That Top” photo on the HVA website and the HVA's Facebook page.
The gearbox in the photo belongs to a 1938 Cord 812. Cord was an American automobile company from Connersville, Indiana, manufactured by the Auburn Automobile Company from 1929 through 1932 and again in 1936 and 1937. The Cord Corporation was founded and run by E. L. Cord. Vehicles produced by Cord were noted for their innovative technology and streamlined designs. Eventually the production of the Cord stopped due to reliability problems, including slipping out of gear and vapor lock. Although most new owners loved their sleek fast cars, the dealer base shrank rapidly. Unsold left-over and in-process 1936 810 models were re-numbered and sold as 1937 812 models. In 1937, after producing about 3000 of these cars, Auburn ceased production of the Cord. A single 1938 Cord prototype with some changes to the grille and transmission cover was built. In 1938, the Cord company was sold to the Aviation Corporation.
And the winner of the contest - Melvin Brown from Glendale, AZ!
For guessing correctly Melvin will receive a free HVA ballcap. The same cap is available here, in the online store.
Steve JOhnson Smyrna, MI
Looks like a electric shifter in a Cord.
Adolfo Orsi Italy
Cord 810/812
Paul Zerra Fl
Cord 810
John Tutini Argyle, Tx
Cord.
w. goodwin rochester,nh
1938 hudson teraplaine
Doug Noel W Manchester, OH
Make: Cord. Model: 812
Jack Geiger Port Orchard, WA
Grant Barlow Galena, IL
1937 Cord 812
JOSEPH TAGLIAFERRO NYC
CORD MODEL 810 PRE-SELECTOR TRANSMISSION
Scott Bamford Richmond, VA
1936 Cord.
Teresa Miller Cheyenne, Wy.
would it be a Talbot Lago Model 57?
TOM SALIMBENE FREDERICK, MD
BELIEVE THIS MYSTERY GEARBOX IS A 1937 CORD 812SC
scott wede Scottsdale,AZ
810 Cord
malcolm Utah
1936/37 Cord 810/812
Richard Hirsch Austin Texas
1937 CORD BEVERLY 812
Richard Sandaas Kirkland, WA
I believe that this is from a Cord Hollywood.
rob zaepfel virginia beach, va
The car is a Cord 810
Ron Lambert Austin, TX
al pilz ligonier,pa
gearbox is Cord 810/812
Kermit Wilke Nebraska
My guess: Cord
RL Circle Kennesaw,Ga
Chord
Larry Snell Penrose Co.
1935-36 ? cord
Chris Brown North Carolina
Cord 812
Jonathan Brinkerhoff Albuquerque, New Mexico
The image shows the dashboard, steering wheel (and first implementation of a horn ring) and preselector transmission of a Chord 810/812.
Raymond Gomzales California
Looks like a 810 or maybe 812 Cord Bendix "Electric Hand" preselector
jim Oceanside,CA
I haven't a clue, but I sure am anxious to find out....
Pete Johnson Rochester Hills Mi.
1937 cord 810
Nick Lemieux Los Angeles, CA
Nigel Matthews Vancouver, BC Canada
This is a Tucker
Alan Szarek Watsonville, CA
The gearbox shown is a pre-selector used in Cord automobiles.
Adam Richardson Bellingham, WA
Cotel pre selector
Jerry Walters Camas, WA.
Wilson Preselector Gearbox
Michael Attwood Portland, Oregon
I believe that is a Cord 810/812 gear change. Preselector box - I have driven a British Talbot 105 with the Wilson box - takes a little getting used to, but quite effective!
Bruce Manne Florida
36 or 37 cord.
dave thurber minnesota
my Guess would be a Grame
Frank Aukofer 6325 Beachway Dr. Falls Church VA 22044
It' a Cord 810 or 812 with pre-select electric shifter.
John F. Quilter Eugene, Oregon
This is a preselector gearbox as used on the late 40s Tucker. Preselector gearboxes were used on a number of 1930 Rileys, and other British cars. Most recently in the 50s and 60s were used on many Leyland Routemaster and AEC English buses typified by the traditional rear entry double decker used in London for decades. The preselector gearbox permitted the driver to select the next gear and not effect the actual shift until depressing the clutch.
Dale H Moody Matteson, IL
Car is an 810/812 Cord
malcolm schneer costa mesa ca usa
I believe this is the preselector for a Cotal gearbox, used in many French carsin the '20's & '30's
Bob Potter Deming NM
1936 Cord
Car is a Cord model 810/812
CHAD Murrieta Ca.
Tucker.....
John Acres Green, Colorado
If I'm not mistaken, isn't this a Hudson Shift Master?
If I'm not mistaken, isn't this a Hudson Shift Master? Hudson Terraplane.
Allan Artimisi Glen Carbon, IL 62034
I'd say that was the shifter on a Cord 810
Ted Lloyd Glendale, AZ
37-38 Cord gear shifter
Tom Fogarty Flemington, NJ
I guess Hudson Terraplane.
john shuck Westport, CT
A Cord with a Wilson Pre-Selector gearbox
James Flanagan Wisconsin
Hudson & Terraplane both had a unique electric chifting system. The system only required the clutch be depressed to start the engine. Once started the intake manifold had a line connected to an actuator canister which when the partial vacuum in the manifold drew back a linkage which depressed the clutch pedal. as long as the throttle plate was shut an maintained the partial vacuum the car would not move. When the throttle was pressed open the throttle plate and excelerating the vehicle the partial vacuum was broke and the clutch would engage. The driver would then preselect the next gear by shifting the selector on the arm to the desire gear. When the shifting speed was reached he/she would let up on the gas, the throttle plate would close and a partial vacuum would be made and the clutch depressed. Here is where the system showed its goods and its problems. The shift was made by a series of solenoids which would no its time to shift when the clutch linkage would move and make contact with a sensor which would send the current out to the proper shifting solenoid moving the transmission to that gear. One of the unique things was that you could/should remove the manual gear shifter to reduce the strain on the solenoids when making the shift. There was a place for it along the drivers side ahead of the door post to place it in. One of the major problems was the failure of one or more of the solenoids which when repair costs continued to mount the owner would just abandon the system. One or unique aspects of the Hudson/Terraplane driver train was the use of a cork clutch plate in a fuild bath, just be careful to not over grease the throwout bearing!
Bob Deming Vancouver, Washington
That is the gear shift control in a 1636 or 37 Cord model 810. It controled vacuum actuators in the actual gearbox at the front of the engine.
Alex Encinitas, CA
lee shepps VA
its a Tucker Torpedo
Bob Allen United States
Ross Woodbury Louisville, Ky
Looks like a Hudson "electric hand" in a 36-38 Railton maybe.
roger carlson Canton, Ga.
Tucker '48' with the Bendix 'electric hand'
George Doyle Mass
I believe it's a cord
Jim Faulkner Sandia Park, NM
Bill Bauder Texas
Thats a Cord Beverly
Bob Atwood Buckeye, Arizona
My guess is that its a 1937 Cord.
Frank Herrera WV
1938 Delahaye
R.P. Allen Hanover, Virginia
810/812 Cord, Wilson preselecter gearbox
Oscar GA
Cord 810 or 812
Steve McCormick Boulder, Colorado
This is an easy one. The shifter shown is from the Bendix pre-selective transmission of an 810 Cord. I'm thinking, however, that the hand written note secured to the dash with a clothes pin is not an ACD approved accessory!
Mark Lieberman Auburn Hills, MI
Matthew Boyer Hillsboro, OR
Edward Moore Brighton, mi
Cord 810 preselector
Don Hilston Lighthouse Point, Fl
This shifter is on a Cord
Steven Overfield Sand Springs, Oklahoma
This is the semi-automatic transmission pre-selector of the 1936-37 Cord 810-812 (three-speed with Overdrive) front wheel drive system. The gear-box was developed from the Harry Miller front wheel drive of Indy racing fame. Errett Lobban Cord was so impressed by the FWD system pioneered by Miller that he purchased the rights from Miller and used it in his L-29 car first.
Bob Rouille Vancouver WA.
Cord phaeton
Skip Andree Tucson, Arizina
gilbert chestney Michigan
TUCKER
bill gisbrecht los angeles
1937 Cord
Larry Blyly Hartford, MI
That is an easy one. It is a 1936 Hudson with the Electric Hand. Same Bencix design as the Cord, but in a different location.
cameron holeman Sputh Padre Island, TX
mark hopkins conover ohio
1936 (810)or 1937 (812) cord. 4speed with at Bendix electronic shifting.
Gerald Michelbrink Prescott,Arizona
Looks like TUCKER
Paul Lint FL
Cord
Thomas McQueen Escondido, CA
It' 1937 Cord 812
Ira Rimson Albuquerque NM
Gene Birdsall Rockford, Michigan
Cord 812 electric shift.
LagunaMike Austin, TX
Pre-selector shifter on a Cord 810
Pete Peterson Vincennes, Indiana
The engine turned instrument panel and the selector make it a 1937-38 Cord.
John Dillman Houstonk, Texas
With that dash and steering wheel, gotta be a Cord. 810 and 812 looked the same, as far I can recall. What a car . ..
Max Brand Bellows Falls, Vt. 05101
It's a Cord Dashboard with a pre-selector transmission
Melvin Brown Phoenix AZ
1938 cord 812 electric shifter
Kerry Port Orchard, Wa.
I think it is a 1937 Cord Model 812
Fred Robson Hebron, CT
810/812 Cord 4-speed preselector
tom Michigan
1937 cord 812
Bryce Banks St.George UT
Cord Beverly 812
Bob Stavish Wilkes-Barre, PA
Hudson Terraplane
Jim Necci Amissville,VA,
Looks like a Hudson Terraplane to me.
Bret San Diego, Ca
CORD ! 810 and 812
Randall Floyd Lake Mary Florida
This shifter is on an Cord 810
Alan Smith Phoenix, Arizona
Dace Crevie Elmhurst, Il
Bill Conway Austin, TX
Late 30's Cord 810-812 pre-selector gearbox. Ancestor of the automatic transmission..
David Bemis Cohasset, MA
It is surely from the Cord, either 810 or 812. I don't know them well enough to know if there is a discernible difference. Although apparently there are a number of variations in the dashboards of these cars (radios, ashtrays, etc.) I believe these cars were produced in 1936 and 1937 (810 and 812 respectively.)
John Wyma Sparta Michigan
Looks just like a Cord 810, and that transmission was also used in the Tucker.
Bob Koceja Racine,Wisconsin
Ric Simpson Fort Erie, Ontario
I have been driving with this gearbox for 65 years, over 500,000 miles and unless I am totally delirious, it is the control selector off my 1936 Cord Phaeton! (also used on 1937 812 models, and with some modifications on some Tuckers.)
L Wood Lovettsville, Va
1936 cord 810
Mike B Batesville, IN
I agree with Jonathan Brinkerhoff and Pete Peterson (among others). That sure looks like a Cord 810 (or its supercharged 812 cousin). I just came back from the Auburn Cord Duesenberg festival and I saw several of them. The engine turned dash, pre selector stalk on the steering column and the horn ring (a Cord first, used in part to hide a recycled Ford steering wheel) are all tell tales signs
Rick Vincent Louisville, Ky.
Tucker
Bob Petrik Rolling meadows, il
I say maybe a Tucker, perhaps
Meryl Miller Colon, MI
That is the column mount shifter on a 1936 Model 810 Cord
Robert Kreis Marengo, Iowa
1937/38 Cord
Mike Scullin Alpine, NY
Red Fred San Francisco, CA
'36/'37 Cord 810/812
Lou Metelko Auburn, Indiana
Living in Auburn, Indiana that's an easy one! 1936 or 1937 Cord 810 / 812
Scott BArland N. Ga. usa
William Lindsay Florida
Garry SD
gear selector for a Tucker 1948
Dave Mure United States
1936 Cord 810
roman vitale warren, michigan
it is a tucker
ROMAN VITALE warren, michigan
IT'S A TUCKER
ken osgood newark,Delaware
Gerald Michelbrink Prescott, Arizona
it is 1948 Tucker
Steve Hudson Okla. City OK
Late 30's Cord. Can tell by the engine turned dash
Russ Keller K.C. MO
Cord 810/812 1936
A. Nielson Central Point, OR
1936/1937 Cord 810/812
Carl Stromgren Richland, WA
Richard Landes Clinton, NC
george williams kingsford mi.
i955 chrysler
henry cherry ahoskie nc
1936 cord
Steve Holladay Carolina Beach, N.C.
It is a preselector gear leaver for a Cord. 812.
Joe Grifasi Amherst, NY
John Mingst Bethpage NY