It was a car with lines and features which would appeal to an aviator. But not just any car and, certainly, not just any aviator.
The 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton convertible, this one in Palm Beach Tan, was purchased by Amelia Earhart just months before her ill-fated trip around the globe which ended in mystery. There were just 21 of the cars made in 1936. A few did not sell, so they were renumbered as 1937 models and Earhart's was one of them.
Beside the lines of the car body, the headlights were actually airplane landing lights made by Stinson Aircraft. The engine was built by Lycoming, still a leading aircraft engine manufacturer. The switches and gauges inside the Cord resemble those found in the cockpit of an airplane.
It's a beautiful vehicle.
After the pilot's disappearance her husband. George Putnam, had to go through years of court battles to sell the car. His wife's body was never found. He eventually was able to part ways with the Cord. Then it, like its original owner, became a mystery.
It passed through the hands of many, almost all of them having no knowledge of the car's historic first owner. Eventually, the car was restored and reunited with its original engine, color, and condition. It will be placed on display in a clear case this fall in Washington, D.C. during Cars at The Capital.
It's only the 33rd vehicle ever added to the National Historic Vehicle Register.
You can see it...in living color below.