My fascination with Cords

I have always been fascinated by Cords. As a child growing up in the 50's, my father showed me pictures of Cords, and we used to have great discussions on the styling and sheer beauty of the car. At the age of eight I vowed to own one one day.

I have had quite a few classics over the years. I currently own a 76 Corvette Stingray, a 1948 Chev Pick-up Streetrod and a 1950 Hudson Pacemaker Coupe, but continued to dream of owning that Cord. Things took a turn when I met Mike Otto who is the owner of a beautiful Cord Beverly (see photos). A frendship developed and Mike was able to persuade Ced Pearce, the owner of a Custom Berline and a Sportsman to part with the 810 Westchester that had been in his barn for over twenty years. Mike and Cedric have owned and built quite a few Cords and are "The Cord Gurus" in South Africa.

17 RHD Cords were imported into South Africa in the 30's and only a handful remain. As far as my Cord goes, the basics are there, but the engine, gearbox and quite a few other items are missing. Restoration of the car has begun. I will update the site with pictures of the restoration.

Drop me a line if you are a Cord owner and if you have any Cord spares.

Ray Exton (Johannesburg)

cordinsa.co.za