Formidable Foes - 1931 Cord L29 & Ruxton Phaeton

I just love that color on the Phaeton Ruxton, would love to see this one for real and in person. To bad that the depression hit before they could get this company off the ground. Just like lots of others during that sad time in history.

The ACD Museum had a Cord L-29 Cabriolet and Ruxton Model C Roadster parked next to each other, for a great bit of comparison. The Ruxton looks a bit more low slung, but that might also have to do with the harsh curtailing of its fat grill.

As for the rainbow Ruxtons, you can find one of them at the Tampa Bay Automoblie Museum ( www.tbauto.org/ ). Here is a picture of that goofy Ruxton too:


It really does look that strange in person. Also, wouldn't Bucciali have some placement in being the first to roll out a FWD production car? Or possibly (in a manner of speaking) the FWD Company in Wisconsin, which brought out four wheel drive vehicles in 1911. Or maybe Spyker which made a four wheel drive race car in 1902 (a 1907 version was shown at Pebble Beach in 2004). See 4x4abc.com/4WD101/who.html for more info.

That was the Cord I saw in Carmel 8/17/06. Stunning in motion.

Woodlites look gorgeous on both Cords and Ruxtons (it's a shame that they didn't work very well when it came to lighting the road).
I love both cars for different reasons. Ruxtons are flashier, Cords more calm and elegant.
If you've never seen one of the Joseph Urban-designed Ruxton show cars with rainbow paint schemes, then you're missing out! It makes the red-and-yellow Cord Speedster replica at the ACD Museum look calm and reserved.

Mike Dube wrote: Great shots, all. Is that magazine something we can buy/subscribe to? I found no reference of it on line.

Hi Mike,

You can get a subscription here: Classic Cars Subscription Site

Bill

Great shots, all. Is that magazine something we can buy/subscribe to? I found no reference of it on line.

Supposedly, the Ruxton beat the Cord L29 to market, but it never really got into production. The similarities however are striking.

Club Member, Jim Fasnacht, treats us to an unusual sight. A Cord L29 Cabriolet sitting next to a Ruxton Phaeton! The Cord L-29 is a 1931 Cabriolet and the Ruxton is a 1931 Phaeton (one of two built) body by Baker Raulang.

THe only thing better than seeing pictures of these cars, would be to actually see them sitting side by side in Auburn this year. What do you say Jim?