Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum
AUBURN – The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum (ACDAM) announced that a rare 1966 Cord 8/10ths was donated to the museum by Martin J. Gallagher III in memory of Marty Gallagher. This model was essentially a scaled down 1936 Cord 810, and built to 80 percent the size of the original, or 8/10.
This Cord has an interesting history. In 1964 Glenn Pray, a schoolteacher from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, founded the Cord Automobile Company to build cars from 350 tons of new-old steel parts purchased from Auburn, Indiana, along with the Cord name. Pray intended to use the classic 1936 Cord 810 design but modernized it with a smaller scale. Its body was made with a new “virtually indestructible” material called Expanded Royalite.
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum
To demonstrate the Cord 8/10ths strength, the company drove this same car through a double brick wall at 30 mph. Compared to a traditional steel body, the Cord performed exceptionally well and was driven away.
Unfortunately delays and setbacks caused the company directors to remove Pray from the Cord Automobile Company in 1966, and by July of that year the car company closed. Only 97 Cord 8/10ths were produced.
This Cord was purchased in 1972 by Martin Gallagher II to fix and enjoy. He employed a restorer to complete that task, who instead stole the car. Due to a police report containing the wrong VIN, the car was not located. 21 years later, Gallagher II’s son, Martin Gallagher III, decided to try to locate the Cord. After contacting people in 22 states and in 15 government agencies, the Cord was found in Virginia, the owner not knowing it was stolen. Following a court proceeding in 1997, Gallagher III was able to take ownership and reunite his father with his car.
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum
“The museum is honored to be the caretakers of this historic 1966 Cord and to convey the legacy of the Gallagher family ownership,” said museum curator Sam Grate. “We promise we won’t drive it through any brick walls!”
ACDAM’s Cord 8/10 will be on display beginning Tuesday, July 4th in the museum’s Gallery of Excellence and Innovation.
About Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum
The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum – where the world’s finest cars of yesterday live today! Over 120 classic, antique, vintage, and special interest cars are displayed with other automotive related exhibits on three floors. The museum is in the original 1930s national headquarters of the legendary Auburn Automobile Company and is a National Historic Landmark. The museum is open from 9:00am – 5:00pm daily. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Visit the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, a place where automotive history comes to life! 1600 S. Wayne St. Auburn, IN, 46706 • (260) 925-1444 • automobilemuseum.org.
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