‘If These Cars Could Talk” is the theme of a new monthly program at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in Auburn, Indiana, where visitors can hear an in-depth, car-side presentation, starting Saturday with a 1929 Cord L-29 Brougham on loan to the museum from local resident Burt Dickman.
“The cars are chosen based on if we have learned something interesting about the car or if we think there is a story about the car our visitors might find fascinating,”said Kendra Klink, the museum’s chief operating officer.
“We choose cars that show a unique or fun feature –such as this month’s car being the first front wheel drive automobile produced in the United States! How cool is that!”
“Visitors will be treated to a hands-on glimpse into what makes the all original 1929 Cord L-29 Brougham such a special automobile,” added Sam Grate, the museum’s registrar. “The 1929 Cord L-29 Brougham was made in the first month of production, providing a prime example of how the car was originally produced. It was the first front-wheel-drive production car in the United States.”
Errett Lobban Cord, owner of the Auburn Automobile Company, believed that if an automaker couldn’t be big, it had to be different. There is no better example of this philosophy than the Cord L-29. It was America’s first successful front-wheel-drive automobile and a showpiece of innovation in design and technology. The L-29 was well ahead of its time.
Manufactured in Auburn from 1929 through late 1931, the L-29 was propelled by a 125-horsepower engine built by Lycoming Manufacturing of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. When new, the automobile sold for $3,095, which was approximately 2 ½times the annual income of an average American family.
The “If This Car Could Talk” presentation on the L-29 will be offered at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday. The presentations are free with a regular museum admission.
A one-page summary of the presentation will be available to future museum visitors.
For more information, visit the museum’s website.
