Mark and Diane Besser have a type: low, sleek and sporty, with room for two just people. The Bolivar, Mo., residents have some pretty spry rides that fit that description, from a Muntz Jet to a Woodhill Wildfire and a Kaiser-Darrin, among other sporty rides. It should be no surprise that when Mark went looking to add a prewar sports machine, he went looking for an Auburn, Cord or Duesenberg and eventually landed a very well-preserved 1930 Cord Front Drive (L-29) Cabriolet.
"I just always loved that car," Besser says of the Cord Cabriolet. "To me, that long hood and that body was just perfect for a 1930s car.
"I searched for one for a few years until I found one I could afford. I went out to Arizona to get one at auction, but I couldn't get that one."
A few years later, Besser saw another Cord Front Drive Cabriolet coming to auction from a collection that also included an Auburn Speedster and a Duesenberg.
"I had been going to RM Auctions and I saw their literature and it was one of the feature cars for that 2018 auction in Auburn," Besser recalled. "I actually wanted the Auburn Speedster, and I did bid some, but not far enough. This was my second choice."
Calling the Cord Cabriolet a "second choice" is like comparing brands of caviar — all are premium delicacies with different experiences. Both the Auburn 851 Speedster and the Cord Cabriolet were products of the Cord Corp., and both were the sportiest cataloged body types offered by their makers. And while the Auburn Speedster has a more unique body design than its contemporaries, the Cord L-29 has a far more unique mechanical configuration than all but one of its contemporaries.
