The world's first car to have pop-up headlights: the 1936 Cord 810

Imagine walking around the 1935 New York Auto Show and suddenly seeing a car that appears to have no headlights, door hinges, or properly functioning grille, that was Cord’s goal, to make a car that looked as sleek as possible, which is why it was fitted with what they called “hidden headlights”. Not only did it make the car look sleeker, it also allowed for a more aerodynamic car, as back in the ‘30s, cars had headlights that weren’t mounted inside the body, that have no lenses, and are quite large, considerably larger than today’s standard, as that became regulation halfway the ‘60s.

Not only was it the first to have pop-ups, it was also the first American car to be front-wheel-driven, powered by the (off course) longtudinally mounted 4.7-litre Lycoming V8, delivering 125 hp, which, at the time, is a considerable amount for a saloon. The engine was paired to a semi-automatic 4-speed gearbox, which had 3 regular gears and overdrive.

In the end, 3000 810s were sold in it’s 2 year life.

What do you think of this pre-war luxury American? I’ve got to say, it has typical American flaws, for instance, the front and rear doors open in opposite directions, not like Rolls Royce has it, as the front doors are suicide doors, but the rear doors aren’t. It only comes with a 4-speed semi-automatic, which didn’t really work. And it also had the ability to turn on the lights before they were upright. You’d think they’d develop some hydraulic system for that, even then. Regardless, I do like it a lot, normally I’m no fan of pre-war cars as there is too much going on, cars from the ‘50s are much sleeker. But they do have a certain vibe to them. Their interiors for instance are very luxurious.

If there is any classic you want me to make a post about, please tell me, I’m open for suggestions.

• MH