Wheels: E.L. Cord

To say that Errett Lobban Cord and I shared some early career experiences wouldn’t be a stretch. Errett Lobban, better known as E.L., at various times was a mechanic, car salesman and race car driver. He hauled ore, drove a bus and even operated the Cord Auto Washing Co. for a while. That’s mostly where E.L. and I part ways.

Born on a farm in Missouri in 1894, he dropped out of school at an early age. After following these various pursuits, E.L ended up back on the used car lot where he embraced his natural ability to sell. Soon he had enough money to buy into the Moon Motor Car dealership where he worked and his rise through the ranks earned him a meeting with executives at the Auburn Automobile Co. of Auburn, Ind.