1930 Cord L-29 Brooks Stevens Speedster at the 2008 Glenmoor Gathering. Photo courtesy Glenmoor Gathering.
Brook Stevens’s path to automotive design fame began with a 1930 Cord L-29, his own car, purchased with the assistance of his father, which he customized to resemble Speedster models from family brands Auburn and Duesenberg. Stevens so loved the Cord that he kept the car for more than 60 years, up until his death in 1995. On Sunday, his Cord L-29 Speedster, now owned by Ed Schoenthaler of Oak Brook, Illinois, took Best of Show, Concours d’Elegance, at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.
Stevens’s love for the L-29 was said to go back to his teenage years, when he first encountered the front-wheel-drive Cord at a wedding. In 1932, his father would help the architecture student purchase a two-year-old Cord L-29 cabriolet, which Stevens soon began to modify, perhaps as a showcase for his design talents.
To give the L-29 a sleeker shape, the cowl was cut down, the body was narrowed and a V-shaped windshield with a pronounced rake was added. Behind the cabin, the rumble seat was replaced with smooth sheetmetal, and a vertical dorsal fin added. Sidemounts were removed and filled in, and front fenders were partially enclosed to enhance the car’s aerodynamic appearance. Hood louvers were replaced with mesh screening for better ventilation and enhanced cooling, low-profile “Woodlite” headlamps were added, and as a finishing touch, Stevens had the car finished in a two-tone livery and capped his creation with a radiator mascot of his own design.
As Stevens intended to run the car in hillclimbs and other motorsport events, performance was marginally enhanced as well. The car retained its Lycoming-built, 298.6-cu.in. inline eight-cylinder engine, but Stevens reportedly added an intake manifold with dual carburetors and a lower-restriction exhaust manifold to boost output above the stock 125 horsepower.
Stevens would go on to a lengthy career in both automotive and industrial design, with highlights that included the Jeep Wagoneer, the Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk, the 1949 Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide, the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile, the Miller Brewing logo and the Skytop Lounge railroad observation cars. Despite his later successes, he never parted ways with his beloved Cord, which remained part of his collection for the remainder of his life.
Also taking top honors at Amelia Island, in the Concours de Sport category, was a 1932 Alfa Romeo 8c 2300 Zagato Spider, owned by David Sydorick of Beverly Hills, California. Look for more images from the show once our man on the ground, Richard Lentinello, has a chance to sort through his images.
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