July 20, 1894 – Transportation baron E.L. Cord is born
Yesterday we discussed an invention that revolutionized automotive design, pop up headlights that were first featured on the 1936 Cord 810. Today, we're talking about the man who gave that car its name. Errett Lobban Cord, born on this day in 1894, was a race car driver, mechanic and car salesman -- and a transportation baron, entertainment executive and state law maker.
Top: E.L. Admiring the Cord 810Above: 1929 Cord L-29. By Jim Evans - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
Born in Missouri, Cord grew to be a jack of all trades. Aside from working on, racing and selling cars, he ventured into numerous other areas of business. At one point or another in his early career, Cord hauled ore, sold real estate, fixed electronics, and even drove a bus. None of these jobs shook out quite how he wa...
