The hot rod world is dominated by a few popular vehicles. 1932 Fords and 50s to 60s Chevys are some of the most common vehicles we see in the community. These cars definitely have their merits but they can certainly seem to blend in. Just about any car can become a hot rod or kustom though. There are extremely rare vintage vehicles that have amazing body lines, for-their-time innovations and have histories that can shadow even the most amazing popular car build. This is exactly the case for a 1937 Cord Phaeton Model 812 that is going up for auction through the Leake Auction Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
On June 5-7, 2015, Leake Auction Company will be auctioning off the supercharged V8 and front wheel drive car but this isn’t the first time the company has hand their hands on it. In the early 60s, James C. Leake purchased the car from a gentleman who had restored it in 1953. The gentleman was Glen Pray; he sold the car to Leake to help fund purchasing the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Company. Leake sold the car a year later. It wasn’t until 1968 that Pray learned that car had been sold, he immediately started looking for it. He enlisted the help of Cord historians and car clubs to help find the car but it was never found. Some believed it had been shipped outside the United States.
Fast forward to 2014. Doug Pray, Glenn’s son, received a call about a car that sounded like his Dad’s car. It had been found sitting in a barn for 45 years. After being confirmed it was the exact same car the family owned previously, the car is now heading to auction. “Because of this Cord’s history, I believe it has the potential of becoming one of the finest Super Charged Cord Phaeton in the world,” stated Doug Pray. “The Glenn Pray family will help with the history and any details the new owner may need. This is the car that started the entire second generation car building craze that has swept the country since Glenn built the first modernized version of the Cord in 1964.”
To get more info on this car and the Leak Auction Company, head over to www.LeakeCar.com.