What’s worth reading

Like you, I spend a lot of time reading. A small amount of that time is spent reading through forums, as I mostly read books and magazines (although I'm relatively young, I'm actually pretty old-school).

There are a lot of really good books out there to read, and there are an equal amount of bad ones. The good ones can be harder to find since they are usually published by smaller "specialty" publishers. The bad ones are easier to find as they are the kinds of books places like Barnes & Noble likes to stock. (And if you've ever tried to determine if a car book is worth buying at B&N, you know that means standing by the restrooms and trying to focus over the wafting septic odors brewing from those restrooms.)

So, from time to time, I'll throw a few posts here and there about what I have found that is reading, and this first one is a real doozie about the Cord.

“Cord Complete”

Only one man could have written a book and presented it in a format worthy of the automobile named in the title of “Cord Complete.” The man is Josh Malks, and the car is the Cord 810/812, of course.

Anyone who knows Malks knows his passion for the second generation of front-wheel-drive Cord automobile. Those people also know that “Cord Complete” is not his first book on these cars; “Cord Complete” follows Malks’ earlier work, “Cord 810/812: The Timeless Classic,” with more photos, more facts learned in the 10-plus years since his first book was published and more pages.

Enough new information has surfaced since Malks’ earlier work and during his continuing research to warrant the recently released “Cord Complete.” The additional information also warranted a new format, and as a result, “Cord Complete” is so plush and visually exciting, you’ll open its cover with as much anticipation as opening the rear door on an 810 Beverly for the first time.

The “Cord Complete” experience begins by pulling the oversize green, hardcover 10-1/4 by 14-1/4 book out of its of slipcase printed with the terrazzo pattern from the floor of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg factory showroom (now ACD Automobile Museum) in Auburn, Ind. Those details continue on the inside, where beautifully reproduced original and period photos and illustrations of Cord 810 and 812 automobiles are set among rich design elements, all of which were printed on heavy paper. In all, this book carries a weight worthy of the innovative 810 and 812 in this hobby.

Obviously, “Cord Complete” isn’t only a pretty book; it reproduces the factory drawings and documents from which the author’s conclusions were drawn. So detailed is this publication, it also includes a complete roster of all known Cord 810 and 812 models by serial number.

Glimpses of the pages of “Cord Complete” can be found at www.cordcomplete.com, along with ordering information. This heavy volume is priced at $159, plus $22 for shipping. To contact the publisher by mail, write to: Jericho Publications, 1961 Main Street, PMB 240, Watsonville CA 95076.