Cord L-29: Which Version Should You Choose?
Choosing a Cord L-29 is unusually straightforward because the catalogue contains one generation, one body type, and one version. The model was produced from 1929 to 1932 as a Cabrio, and its sole listed specification is the 4.9 MT. There are therefore no alternative engines, transmissions, drive systems, or generations to compare.
Choosing a Cord L-29 is unusually straightforward because the catalogue contains one generation, one body type, and one version. The model was produced from 1929 to 1932 as a Cabrio, and its sole listed specification is the 4.9 MT. There are therefore no alternative engines, transmissions, drive systems, or generations to compare. The decision comes down to whether the 4.9 MT itself meets your requirements: a 4,888 cm³ Gasoline engine producing 127 hp, a 3-speed Manual gearbox, FWD, a listed top speed of 124 km/h, and a kerb weight of 2,100 kg.
Cord L-29 generations compared
The Cord L-29 has 1 generation, built from 1929 to 1932. That generation uses a Cabrio body and contains 1 version, the 4.9 MT.
Because no later generation or restyled version appears in the data, there is no generation-to-generation change in power, engine size, transmission, drive, body type, weight, or performance to evaluate. Buyers cannot use this catalogue to choose between an earlier and later technical specification: every listed Cord L-29 leads to the same 4.9 MT configuration.
Cord L-29 4.9 MT engine and specs
The 4.9 MT has a 4,888 cm³ Gasoline engine mounted Front, longitudinal. It has 8 cylinders in a V-shaped layout, 2 valves per cylinder, a Carburetor fuel system, and No boost. Output is 127 hp, or 93 kW, at 3,400 rpm. The compression ratio is 5.3, while bore and stroke are 82.5 × 114.3. Torque and torque rpm are not measured.
The engine produces approximately 26.0 hp per litre, calculated from its 127 hp output and 4,888 cm³ displacement. With no second version available, this figure cannot establish a relative winner within the L-29 range; it simply describes the sole available powertrain.
| Version | Power | Torque | Displacement | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.9 MT | 127 hp | not measured | 4,888 cm³ | Gasoline | 8 | V-shaped | No | 3-speed Manual | FWD |
Performance, top speed, and fuel economy
For the Cord L-29 4.9 MT, the listed top speed is 124 km/h. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is not measured.
City fuel consumption is not measured, highway fuel consumption is not measured, and combined fuel consumption is not measured. CO₂ emissions and environmental class are also not measured. As a result, the available data cannot support a fuel-economy comparison or an mpg-based recommendation.
The 75-litre tank states the amount of fuel the car can carry, but range cannot be calculated because no consumption figure is measured. Likewise, the top-speed figure should not be treated as evidence of acceleration performance, since the 0–100 km/h result is not measured.
Dimensions, weight, and chassis specs
The Cord L-29 4.9 MT has a kerb weight of 2,100 kg. Gross weight is not measured, ground clearance is not measured, and wheel sizes are not measured. Its fuel tank capacity is 75 litres.
Using the listed kerb weight and power, the 4.9 MT carries approximately 16.5 kg per horsepower. The inverse measure is approximately 60.5 hp per tonne. These calculated ratios help describe the relationship between the car’s 2,100 kg kerb weight and 127 hp output, but there is no lighter or more powerful L-29 version in the data against which to compare them.
Both the front and rear suspension are Dependent, leaf spring. The front brakes are Drum, and the rear brakes are Drum.
| Version | Kerb weight | Gross weight | Ground clearance | Tank | Wheel sizes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.9 MT | 2,100 kg | not measured | not measured | 75 litres | not measured |
Which Cord L-29 version should you buy?
Within the supplied catalogue, choose the 4.9 MT if you want a Cord L-29, because it is the only listed version. It combines the Cabrio body with a 4,888 cm³ Gasoline engine, 127 hp, a 3-speed Manual gearbox, and FWD. There is no automatic alternative, no different drive layout, no boosted engine, and no second output level in the data.
The usual question of what extra money buys cannot be answered from these specifications. No prices are supplied, and there is no higher trim or alternative version offering additional horsepower, a different gearbox, reduced weight, or improved measured economy. The difference between the most and least powerful L-29 versions is therefore 0 hp, because both positions refer to the same 4.9 MT. The displacement difference is 0 cm³, and the kerb-weight difference is 0 kg for the same reason.
The available numbers make the 4.9 MT suitable for buyers specifically seeking the catalogue’s only L-29 configuration rather than buyers trying to optimize among several specifications. Its known selection points are 127 hp, 4,888 cm³, 124 km/h, 2,100 kg, a 75-litre tank, Manual transmission, and FWD. Fuel consumption, 0–100 km/h acceleration, torque, gross weight, ground clearance, and wheel sizes are not measured, so none of those fields can be used to justify the purchase.
Reliability and problems
Reliability information and known-problem data are not measured in the supplied catalogue. The specifications confirm a Carburetor fuel system, No boost, Dependent, leaf spring suspension at both ends, and Drum brakes at both ends, but they do not provide failure rates, maintenance intervals, repair costs, or component-life figures. A reliability ranking or claims about common Cord L-29 problems would therefore go beyond the available data.
The practical conclusion is simple: there is no better or worse L-29 version hidden elsewhere in this catalogue. The 4.9 MT is the complete choice set, and it should be judged only by its documented 127 hp output, 4,888 cm³ Gasoline engine, 3-speed Manual gearbox, FWD system, 124 km/h top speed, and 2,100 kg kerb weight.