Amelia Earhart’s 1937 Cord added to National Historic Vehicle Register

Article content

It was just under a year before Amelia Earhart’s ill-fated transcontinental flight that she picked up this 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton. Now, some 95 years later, that car is being inducted into the U.S. National Historic Vehicle Register. 

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Amelia Earhart’s 1937 Cord added to National Historic Vehicle Register Back to video

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

The program is the only “federally recognized program to document the historical and cultural significance of the automobile,” and so far only includes 33 vehicles, Earhart’s being the 33rd. 

Article content

The American luxury car was produced between 1929 and 1932, and again from 1936 to 1937. Earhart’s 1937 model was sold after she went missing, and, after a few owners, was disassembled and shipped to various locations around the U.S. Eventually, in 2004, a single collector tracked down the original pieces including the body, frame, and engine, and sold it to The JBS Collection, which had it restored to its original specs. 

“Highlighting the story of Amelia Earhart and her passion for the automobile is a unique glimpse into the varied and widespread love of cars that has captivated our society since the turn of the 20th century,” said Casey Maxon of the Hagerty Drivers Foundation in a statement. “We are thrilled to honor this American hero and advocate for women’s rights during Women’s History Month. It is one more example of the way America’s automotive history is woven into the diverse past of our nation.” 

Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared in her Lockheed 10E Electra in 1937 somewhere over the South Pacific. Her Cord will be on display at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during the free Hagerty Drivers Foundation’s annual “Cars at the Capital” celebration.