TETANUS

This car started life as a 1937 Cord 812 Westchester Sedan.

It left the factory as a RHD export model with its destination being England.

It was sold new by R.S.M Automobiles of Berkeley Square, London W1 with the first owner being the Earl of Derby.

Several years later it was sold to its second owner, a rather prestigious name within the world of Stock Car Racing, the one and only Jerzy Wójtowicz. Jerzy was an heroic pilot of WWII and had been honoured with many medals but after the war he got involved with stock car racing and became world champion, his story alone is quite fascinating.

Jerzy bought the car and removed the engine and transmission and fitted them to an Auburn which was shipped to Australia for the World Finals. The Cord was fitted with a Ford Flathead V8 and crudely made into rear wheel drive. Then for some reason that no one knows the car was left in a field in Yorkshire where it sat outside for 50+ years just slowly dissolving back into the ground and being used as a trampoline by all of the local children.

The car was put up for sale where upon it spent nearly 20 years for sale with every car enthusiast in the country viewing it and walking away without it until Andy saw it.

Its name Tetanus came about when on the day Andy was collecting it his mate took one look and exclaimed “I’m not touching that without having a Tetanus“

The car has now undergone a 7000 hour redesign and rebuild which has transformed Andy’s beautiful art deco vision into an imposing chopped 2 door coupe, a model that Cord never offered as a production model.

Launched to an incredible reception at the SuperNationals in Bedford, England, in August 2017 this car has been quoted by many as raising the bench mark of customs here in the United Kingdom.

Photographer: Matt Richardson