At its debut, the Cord Front-Drive (L-29) was the first major American production car with front-wheel drive. The lack of a driveshaft tunnel allowed for the bodies to be mounted low on the frame, with the result being that the Cord was no taller than a person of average height. Sadly, the L-29 came to market just as the Great Depression’s crushing weight came down on the automobile industry, and production of the car faded away in late 1931. The rarest body style is the Brougham, an elegant four-door sedan with blind rear quarters, of which just 13 original examples are known to remain today.

The Brougham offered here has had its ownership history traced back to James Messick of Stockton, California, from whom it passed in 1958 to Dr. Robert S. Julian of Fullerton. It was acquired from Dr. Julian by Ray Dunford of Portland, Oregon, in whose ownership it won many awards at the Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance during the 1970s and 1980s; it also received the Al Leamy Award for Best L-29 at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club West Coast Meet in 1984.

The car was first certified as a Category 1 example by the ACD Club for Mr. Dunford in 1989, with the certification reissued in 1992 to the next owner, Charles “Bud” McGee. Mr. McGee was at the time a well-known figure in the ACD Club and on the West Coast concours circuit, and a great enthusiast of the L-29. Following his passing, the prized Brougham remained in good hands and was exchanged by several fellow enthusiasts before being purchased by Jim Corcione of Connecticut, who returned it to the ACD Club National Reunion in 2009 for the Year of the L-29 Cord. In 2012 it was purchased by Terence E. Adderley, for what became his nearly complete set of outstanding L-29 Cord body styles.

Today this remains an extremely satisfying example that appears to have been cosmetically refinished, but never fully apart and, in fact, still retains some of its original interior, as well as the original serial and body number tags. It has a wonderfully authentic feel and appearance, and would be ideal for further sorting and enjoyment in ACD Club, Classic Car Club of America, or Antique Automobile Club of America events with a new owner, who would have the pleasure of driving one of the rarest variations of this pioneering front-wheel-drive Full Classic.