In 1937, the Cord 812 was introduced with an optional long 132-inch wheelbase chassis called the Custom. With an extra 7 inches in length and 1.5 inches in interior headroom, the rear sear became much more accessible. Gordon Buehrig stated the larger Cord "was a result of criticism that the car in the price class it was in didn't have enough room in it for some people's taste." You will notice there are eight hood louvers, instead of seven. This is a visual cue of the Custom's added dimensions. The sheet metal panels for the Custom were not only fabricated, but also modified from a standard Sedan body. This required more body solder, or lead, which meant greater hand finishing. But the low cost of skilled labor ruled out the expense of creating large dies to press large single panels. Technical: This Cord received the added power of a supercharger. Although advertised at 170 horsepower, power test charts showed up to 20 horsepower more was actually produced. With an initial cost of $3,375, only the well-to-do could afford this unique car. A total of 235 Customs were produced, of which only 141 received the supercharger.
