Amelia Earhart’s 1937 Cord 812, once dismantled for parts, is fully restored and featured in The Journey Season One finale.
An automobile once tied to one of America’s most enduring mysteries is back in the spotlight. The 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton Convertible originally owned by aviator Amelia Earhart is the subject of the season finale of The Journey, a documentary series produced by The JBS Collection with LaVine Restorations and Eyedart Creative Studio.
The Cord, designed by Gordon M. Buehrig, was famously photographed alongside Earhart’s Lockheed 10E Electra before her disappearance in 1937. Following her loss, her husband George Putnam sold the car, which then passed through multiple owners and was eventually dismantled for parts. Texas collector Ray Foster spent decades tracking down its original components, managing to reunite the frame and engine.
In 2018, collector Jack Boyd Smith Jr. acquired the vehicle and commissioned LaVine Restorations, led by Travis LaVine, to return it to its 1937 condition. The result is a painstakingly accurate restoration that not only preserved its historical significance but also brought Earhart’s Cord back to life as if it had just left the showroom floor.
The Cord’s significance has been recognized worldwide. In 2023, it was inducted into the National Historic Vehicle Register and displayed under glass on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. More recently, it has been showcased at London’s Royal Automobile Club and The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
“This story is as much about fate as it is about restoration,” Smith Jr. said. “The twists and turns of how this car survived are nearly as remarkable as its original owner’s legacy.”
The episode closes Season One of The Journey, which has also chronicled restorations of Packards, a Chrysler Imperial, a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, and other rare automobiles. Season Two is already in development.
