http://www.oldcarsweekly.com August22, 2019 ❘ 19
the rear. A lightweight rear axle and the
straighter frame also contributed to the
model’s low-slung body work. A cata-
log illustration compared it to a contem-
porary sedan noting that the Cord was
about 20 percent lower.
Better traction
Another drawing in the sales litera-
ture showed two cars — one with front
drive and one with rear drive — stuck
in ruts on a dirt road. On both cars, the
front wheels were turned to the right
in order to drive out of the ruts. The
front wheels of the front-drive car were
shown to pull the Cord out of the ruts,
even when turned to one side. In con-
trast, the rear wheels of the other car
push the angled front wheels straight
ahead, farther into the rut.
The same basic concept underlies
an illustration of front- and rear-drive
cars trying to gain purchase (traction)
in mud or sand or on ice. The copywrit-
ers pointed out that a front-drive car has
“over 1,000 percent more purchase for
traction possibility” than a rear-drive
car. In other words, the front-drive Cord
wins again.
Better parts
Other noted advantages of an L-29
Cord included an over-sized ring-and-
pinion gear in the differential; bridge-
like construction with 7/32-inch channel
stock and 7-inch-deep frame side rails
with 3-inch À ange; an inline eight-cylin-
der engine (straight-eight) with 3-1/4 x
41/2-inch bore and stroke and 123 actu-
al horsepower; a double universal joint
that permitted steering up to 42 degrees
(and went 8,000 miles on one oiling);
double quarter elliptic front springs with
rubber shackles; and a body and À atter
À oor that allowed passengers to “sit in
the car, rather than on it,” according to
the catalog.E.L. Cord weighs in
“The Cord Front Drive car is pulled
not pushed,” said E.L. Cord, who felt so
strongly about the front-drive car that he
put his name on it. “This difference makes
possible better transportation; safer con-
trol; easier handling; ¿ ner road-ability;
and greater comfort.” He added, “We offer
the latest automotive development — its
exclusive advantages can better be under-
stood by actually driving a Cord.”Cord in practice
So what was driving a Cord Front
Drive like, and did it live up to its prom-
ises?
It’s impossible to fault the styling of
a 1929 Cord, or any of the nearly iden-
tically styled Cords that were built into- Europeans who normally snubbed
American cars frequently bestowed
“best in show” awards upon the Cord at
concours d’elegance events there. How-
ever, the car was not known for speed,
and some owners found the car to be
front-heavy when driving around town.
Regardless of its few shortcom-
ings, America’s ¿ rst mass-produced,
front-wheel-drive car began a signi¿ -
cant chapter in automotive history and
started a trend that remains strong to
this day.
The Cord's moving parts were under the hood, not the body (illustrated at top)
and its low height gave it a lower center of gravity and more stability (bottom).
Front drive meant fewer parts beneath
the car (illustrated at top) and better
steering action (bottom).The lack of a long, spinning drive shaft
(top) meant a smoother ride in a Cord.
Better performance getting out of a
rut (bottom) was also an advantage of
front-wheel drive.