810 Beverly's - How many are known?

The 2005/2006 ACD Directory lists a quantity of 17 '36 Beverly vehicles, 70 '37 Beverly vehicles & 44 '37 Custom Beverly vehicles currently in the custody of currently registered ACD members. Also lists a small number of Cords with undesignated body styles, these must be real "project" cars.

Ironically, does not list vehicle mentioned at top of this thread.

A few of the '37s would be the renumbered '36s, identified by the subtle but telltale differences that exist, and an intact serial number plate.

Cross checking with a CCCA Handbook might turn up a few more.

Any unknown owner history out there on this one?

The serial number info:

S/N: 1232S

engine#: FB415 (the engine is gone with the transmission and was replaced no later than 1967 with a 1948 Ford Flathead with period gofast components and a 1939 LaSalle 3 speed side shift tranny/Ford? rear end. My folks saw the ad for sale in the paper in 1967 and knew what it was back then. Went to a VERY bad part of Chicago to see it. The guy that installed the engine was going to race it. I believe my parents saved it from a way-too-early demise/thrashing. My folks offered more than the next guy and picked it up quickly (while hearing gun shots in the distance)!
Folks drove it for a couple of years and stored it since.

Is there a Cord out there with this engine?

Central Mfg Co. # C90-269

This data/vehicle was not in the Timeless Classic book and was shared with "Doc Flywheel" in 2002?.

On that note, is there information available to reproduce the armchair Beverly seats? Unfortunately, the armchairs portion of the seats are missing (among other things).

Bill, old friend - I would but you want to beware of repeating history.
My father hung onto it without a hope of restoring it until the day he passed on. I now have the responsibility, and it would be wrong to keep a thing just because of greed if it means it would be damaged because of it.

There are plenty of people out there in a position to move on the project, but I clearly am not.

It would not be a bad idea to remove it from any possibility of the soon to be ex benefitting from it or obstructing things in any way as well. As it stands, she can't and won't touch it. That may not always be true.

I have a number of priorities to consider, among them is making it possible to sell my home if it becomes needful in order to relocate to an area where jobs are available for someone with my skills - and the backwaters of Memphis do not have much of any employment opportunities beyond construction or working in a five and dime. This however is way off topic for this thread...

Be it that 1403S is available to a collector, and if that is one of the unaccounted for ones - we now know where it is.

Nice to see you back Dutch. Keep your chin up and find a way to keep that Beverly.

Do you know why divorces are so expensive?

Because they are WORTH it!

I HAVE a 1936 Beverly. And it is probably in it's best interests to find it a new home...

Serial #1403S

I can't do much except try to protect it. I certainly cannot entertain any hopes of restoring it any time in the near future due to issues created by my estranged spouse.

I am open to offers provided they are reasonable and serious. I will [i:1zosfvwy]not[/i:1zosfvwy] part with it for peanuts, I do know what I have.

NOTE: I have been offline for a while, but have gone in and updated my e-mail today.

Here's another "photo keepsake"...

In December 1958, just a couple of months after my parents bought this '36 Beverly, my Dad loaned the car to Gordon Buehrig for about a week. In reality, he loaned it to Ford Motor Company.

At that time, Gordon was working for Ford and asked my Dad if he could borrow the car for a short time. Gordon drove the car back and forth to work each day for about a week. The people at Ford wanted to study the car because they were working on a new front wheel drive Thunderbird. The car never went to production, so the Thunderbird remained a rear wheel drive car.

Here's a photo of Gordon Buehrig standing with the car in the driveway of his home during the week when this Cord was his way of getting back and forth to work.



Coincidently, in the early 60's, my Dad was asked once again to borrow this car. This time it was Oldsmobile who wanted to borrow it. They were working on a new front wheel drive car too. My Dad refused as he didn't know anyone at Oldsmobile who he could trust with his Cord.

He knew Gordon Buehrig would take good care of it.

-Maurice

That's 27 missing (typo.) wild guess

You're right, it's very rare. Historical data compiled by the ACD Club 810/812 Cord expert Ron Irwin (as I read it in my version) lists a quantity of 40 1936 810 Beverly vehicles, and a quantity of 12 renumbered (built as '36 810s, unsold Summer '36 & renumbered by AAC to become '37 812s) for a total of 52 as-built, 40 officially, and current inventory's got to be equally as small.

To determine quantity of existing vehicles try contacting him, or perhaps Certification Team has an answer. I'll take a wild guess of 5 original, 5 drivable, 10 undrivable, 5 very undrivable, 2 missing and 1 about to be found.

More knowledgable people than I will probably have better info..

Hi Al,

Thanks for the response. Yes, we plan on bringing the Cord to Auburn this year. This will only be the 5th time this car has ever been to Auburn. It was there in 1958 just prior to my Dad buying the car. Dick Bell owned it and took it there. That was the only time the car was ever judged. It was the winning Cord that year.

My Dad took the car there in 1962, then again sometime around 1987 or so, and finally in 2002 for the big 50th Anniversary of the club. My wife and I drove the car in the parade that day while Mom and Dad stood downtown and watched. I think my Dad had more fun watching the car than if he were behind the wheel. Later that evening, my Mom and Dad drove our long-time friend, Joe Knapp, to the dinner at Kruse's place. Joe was real pleased that we brought the car since they were trying to get as many cars as they could for that event. It was Joe who phoned my Dad one day back in 1958 to let him know the car was available for sale. This was a month or so after Labor Day.

We've located the son of the original dealer who sold this car back in 1936. He distinctly remembers sitting in the front seat of this car when he was only 5 years old. He remembers how fascinated he was with this car as he played with the headlights running them up and down. His Dad sold Auburns in Reading, PA along with this Cord and maybe one other Cord. He later took over the dealership and ran it until retiring several years ago. We will try to see if he would like to come to Auburn to see the Cord he remembers so clearly along with all the other cars his Dad was affiliated with.

-Maurice

Hi Maurice,

I seen your dad's car a couple of years ago when the two of you had over to the Sloan Museum for the 'Golden Fifties' car show. I must say, it is a real looker and I hope that you bring to Auburn this year. We have a class for unrestored ACD cars and yours would be a great addition. Anyway, back to your question.

There are a few armchair beverly's out there. Ray Parker in Laotto, Indiana, has an unrestored one which he intends on keeping it that way which I think is pretty cool. We have seen the '36 Beverly's show up at Auburn from time to time but unfortunately, I can not tell you how many were manufactured and that are still in existance.

Keep mid-July '06 open in as much as the Can-Am meet is going to be held in the Grand Rapids area and we would like to see some new comers attend the meet. It is a great way to meet fellow club members and learn a lot about the cars.

Hope to see you in Auburn,

CORDially,

Al Hatch

Welcome to the ACD website.

Great first message you posted! Not only was it interesting but you figured out how to embed a picture into your post.

Keep up the good work! I am sure the other members will be able to answer your questions.

Bill Hummel, Webmaster

As a followup, this black sedan has always been very special to our family in many different ways. Here's a photo I scanned to show one of the special things about this particular Beverly.



This photo is of Gordon and Kay Buehrig riding in the back seat on their wedding night. My parents, Don and Sally Randall, were in the front seat and drove the new bride and groom from the church to their reception.

Notice the date written on the photo. If you know my Dad, then you know it would have to be something very, very special for him to have this car on the road in the winter time. It was quite an honor for my parents to give the new couple a ride in their Cord.

-Maurice

It seems like the 1936 810 Beverly is quite rare. Personally, I'm only familiar with one, the one my Dad owns. I've heard there might be some Westchesters that have had armchair upholstery fabricated and installed, but what about actual original armchair Beverly's from 1936? I know there are a number of 1937 Beverly's with the bustle trunk, but this one is a 1936 that looks like a Westchester until you look inside. Especially interested in hearing if there are any that still have the original unrestored armchair upholstery, just the way it left the factory, like the one my Dad has.

The Cord my parents own is #1540S with only 43,000 miles. It's a black Beverly that is unrestored and is still in very good original condition. My Dad bought the car in 1958. The only major work ever done to this car was a paint job in the early sixties. The 40+ year old paint is showing its age in a few spots, but looks very good from 10 feet away. About a month ago, I replaced the original generator belt. It finally started to shred and then broke.

The car has been getting harder and harder to stop. So, a couple of weeks ago, I rebuilt the front wheel cylinders and now it stops quite well.

Working on this nearly 70 year old car is nicer than working on most 5-10 year old cars. With no rusty, dirty bolts, everything comes apart very nicely.

Now, if I can only get him to dig the '37 Phaeton out of the basement...

-Maurice