E.L. Cord built cars that looked like nothing else on American roads — no running boards, hidden headlights, front-wheel drive borrowed straight from Indianapolis race cars. Twice, in 1929 and again in 1935, his innovations wowed showrooms and auto show crowds before mechanical problems and bad timing cut production short. The 810/812’s “coffin nose” styling is now considered decades ahead of its time. Read on to see how ambition outran what Cord’s factory could actually deliver.