Equipment
Rollup division, electric intercom, rear compartment radio and vanity, full set of rear compartment pulldown shades, dual rear spares with leatherette covers.
Condition
#3 Good
Runs and drives well. Flaws not noticeable to passersby. Most common condition.
About as original and preserved as it gets, the only short wheelbase Cord L-29 Murphy Town Car (3 were built on the 152 1/2 inch long wheelbase.) Purchased from Dolores Del Rio's attorney in 1951 by Pierce Carlson and Fred Thorsen, sold to Jay Hyde in 1959 and owned by him until his recent death. Chauffeur's compartment has replaced seat covering but the door panels are original (and torn.) Doors close like a vault. Paint and chrome are sound and presentable. Rear compartment window safety glass cement has turned orange. Rear upholstery is sound and shows no moth damage. Running but needs further attention, brakes and tires.
Market commentary
No one knew what this Cord would bring when it drove onto Bonhams auction block, its ex-Dolores Del Rio history having recently been confirmed in correspondence with, and photos from, its 1951 purchaser, Pierce Carlson. It started slowly, hanging up in mid-six figures, then took on a new life between two bidders in the tent, eventually advancing in $25K snippets at $1.5 million until the successful bidder gave it a double bump from $1.55 million to $1.6 million, effectively discouraging its Silicon Valley underbidder. It is a marvelous automobile not only for its originality and provenance but also for its dramatically raked windshield and sleek, low rear passenger's compartment. It is the best possible car in which to arrive at the Oscars or the premier of 'Citizen Kane', and recalls animated cartoon cars that are so long they have to bend in the middle to negotiate corners. Expensive? Surely, but also worth every penny and the successful bidder was still euphoric on the Amelia Island Concours lawn Sunday morning.