1936-1937 Cord Beverly

Of those classically beautiful 1936 and 1937 Cords, one model was not as beautiful as the others.  It was the Beverly sedan whose visual difference was a bulged trunk at its rear.

Standard Cord sedans were called Westchesters.  They had smooth rear ends and could seat more than four people, whereas Beverlys could accommodate only four.

These assertions are illustrated in the images below.

Gallery

1936 Cord 810 Westchester - Bonhams auction photos
The rear aspect of the Westchester.  Smooth and logical, but with limited trunk capacity.

Profile view.  Compare to the image below.

1936 Cord 810 Beverly - for sale
The Beverly trunk wasn't greatly larger than the Westchester's, though it did add practicality for buyers needing more carrying space.

Note the trunk sculpting and its lid cut line.  The hinges at its top further degraded the smooth Cord styling.

1937 Cord 812 Beverly - Mecum auction photo
For 1937, the Beverly line was augmented by a "Custom" variant having a longer wheelbase and length.  Standard Cords had a 125-inch ((3200 mm) wheelbase, whereas the Customs' wheelbase was 132 inches (3353 mm).  Compare this standard Beverly to the Custom Beverly below.

1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Custom Beverly - Mecum auction photo
The additional length can be seen in two places.  Note the larger gap between the front door's forward cutline and the aft end of the front fender.  Then compare the aft points of the rear door cutlines to the wheel hubcaps below.

Now for Mecum photos of Beverly interiors.  This front seat has a fold-down armrest, limiting seating to two people.

The back seat also has such an armrest.  Hence, the four-passenger capacity of Cord Beverlys.