In 1936, the Cord 810 — produced by the Auburn Automobile Company — became the first American-designed and built front-wheel drive car with independent front suspension. It was also the first production car to feature pop-up headlights. The radical new styling of its nose completely replaced the traditional radiator grille in favor of horizontal louvers that curved around the sides of the nose, earning the car’s styling the nickname “coffin nose.” The 810 had hidden door hinges and a rear-hinged hood, rather than the side-opening type that was typical at the time. It featured pontoon fenders and hidden headlamps that disappeared into the fenders via dashboard hand cranks. It also featured a concealed lockable fuel filler door and variable speed windshield wipers. The car caused a sensation at its debut at the New York Auto Show in November 1935. It was so well accepted that the company was inundated with orders, even though the list price was $1,995, double the average annual salary. Even so, Cord promised Christmas delivery, but the expected production of 1,000 cars per month failed to materialize because the semi-automatic transmission proved more troublesome than expected. In all, Cord managed to sell only 1,174 of the new 810 in its first model year. Although most new owners loved their sleek fast cars, the dealer base shrank rapidly, and production was discontinued in 1937.
