A 1930 Cord L-29 was awarded 'Best Preserved Vehicle' by the FIVA (the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens orinternational federation of historic vehicles) at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance which took place earlier this month. FIVA will be attending various Concours events around the world to hand out awards for 'Best Preserved Vehicle' and then to assemble them all at UNESCO's head office in Paris.
Award Winner: Mark Gessler from the FIVA (left) hands the award over to Dan Davis (right)
The car which won the first award is the Cord L-29 which is from 1930 and has custom coachwork from the Walter M. Murphy Company. The car is owned by Dan Davis from Jacksonville, Florida who has had the car since 2015, where he bought the car from a Bonhams' auction. The car was owned by the daughter of E.L. Cord, the owner of the company who made the car. It was then sold to Fred Thorenson before he sold it to Jay Hyde in 1959. Hyde had the car in his possession until he passed away in 2014, with car going to auction in 2015.
The Cord L-29 was produced between 1929 and 1931 with 5,000 models built. It was manufactured by the E. L. Cord Company of Auburn, Indiana and is considered as the first practical production car to feature front wheel drive. It had an 8 cylinder engine and had 125 bhp. This particular model is the only known model which was built on Cord's 'standard' 137 and 1/2 inch wheelbase chassis.
“I am honoured the Cord L-29 Murphy Town Car has received this special preservation award during FIVA’s World Motoring Heritage Year,” said Dan Davis, owner. “This is a unique car and it deserves to be recognised as an important cultural icon for future generations to enjoy.”