It is difficult to understate the stunning impact of “The New Cord” at its introduction at the 1935 New York Auto Show.

The pride of Indiana’s Auburn Automobile Company, it was easily the most advanced American automobile introduced in decades, representing as few cars have a clear break and leap forward in design from top to bottom.

A V-8 engine propelled the front wheels, with shifts accomplished through a “key” on the steering column and actuated by pumping the clutch, was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Bodywork was constructed in semi-unitary fashion, with the front “stub” frame, carrying the engine and transmission, bolted to a body structure built in unit with the frame.

There were hidden door hinges, a one-piece hood that opened at the front, and an utter lack of the traditional grille, replaced instead by seven louvers that encircled the nose.

Most prominently, there were hidden headlights, each raised and closed by means of a small hand crank at the edge of the dashboard....