The 1929 Cord L-29 Cabriolet Classic Car

At first glance, the Cord L-29 may not appear to be a remarkable car, at least for its era. Upon closer examination, however, this L-29 could be called revolutionary no less a visionary than Frank Lloyd Wright, who once owned this car, declared it so.

Cord L-29 was the first front-wheel-drive car to be manufactured in any significant quantity. Among others, Cord selected Harry Miller to engineer the car. Miller had set the racing world on its ear with his superb front-wheel-driverace car designs that succeeded at Indianapolis.

For Miller, front-wheel-drive had two primary advantages. First, it eliminated the need for a driveshaft to be placed underneath the car. This allowed the chassis and body to sit much lower, which enhanced both handling, through a lower center of gravity, and aerodynamics, by presenting a smaller body to the air rushing by. Second, with the drive wheels at the heavy end of the vehicle, the traction of those tires was enhanced and power could be translated into forward momentum that much more effectively.

Transferred to the L-29, these front-wheel-drive advantages were apparent to Wright. In his autobiography, Wright predicted that the principles of front-wheel-drive were logical and scientific, and that all cars would eventually be set up that way. By the 1980s, the auto industry’s widespread adoption of front-wheel-drive had largely followed Wright’s prediction.

The L-29’s transaxle was placed in front of its long, straighteight engine. This in turn necessitated a long hood. Cord’s Al Leamy only emphasized the car’s low, long nature in his body design. A color-coordinated radiator surround, a low roofline, and raised accents running the length of the car helped stretch out the vehicle’s visual impression.

The Cord L-29’s impact on the larger automobile industry was blunted by the stock market crash that immediately followed its introduction. Cord was forced to lower prices and only moved a few thousand cars before production ended in 1932.

Cord L-29

Cord L-29 Specifications

Engine : 125 bhp straight eight, 299 ci/ 4.9 liters
Base Price : $3,000
Front Suspension : de Dion solid axle, quarter elliptic leaf springs
Weight : 4,600 lbs/2,086 kg
Top Speed : 77 mph/123 kph