Talk about a major disappointment! I came down with a 24-hour flu bug at 10 AM Friday, and slept most of the time. By the time I was functional on Saturday, I’d missed the major events. It was a question of whether to go at all. I did go, but got to Auburn about 3:30 PM – many of the cars had already left the courthouse square. I wandered about and took pictures of the cars that were left, the new mural across from the Auburn Hotel, etc. They announced a new event, where you could ride in an Auburn, Cord, or Duesenberg for free! I want and stood in line (about 1/2 block long when I joined it).
You have to understand that the 1936/37 Cord 800 series have been my favorite car since childhood (a long, long time!) I have one of the original Hot Wheels Cord 810 cars from the early 1970’s. The cars were revolutionary for their time – front wheel drive, hide-away headlights, no running boards, hidden door hinges, and a pre-selector manual transmission. Even though they were built in 1936 & 1937, they could exceed 100 mph (especially the 1937 with the supercharged engine). And they were a luxury road car, not a racing car.
Finally, they started loading the cars – of course the first people wanted to ride in the Duesenberg, then they loaded up the Auburn (an early 1930’s sedan), and then the white Cord. People got into the back, and the announcer called out – we have room for one more – anyone by themselves who wants to ride in the Cord. I raised my hand.
So, I got to skip the rest of the line, and ride in the front seat of a 1937 Supercharged Cord!
I was reminded that God sometimes likes to surprise us with a totally unexpected bonus good thing (blessing?). I’ll never be able to afford a Cord, probably never know anyone who has one. The car is now 86 years old and the company has been out of business for 86 years. Irreplaceable. Most antique car collectors are of the “do not touch” variety. This owner was generously sharing what he had with those who would never have that experience otherwise.
