The ‘Earhart’ Cord solidifies its standing as one of the more storied and historically significant automobiles among classic car collections worldwide
The JBS Collection’s fully-restored 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton Convertible, originally owned by American aviator Amelia Earhart, is in Dearborn, Michigan for a six-month installation—through late May of 2025—at The Henry Ford Museum’s National Historic Vehicle Register Display.
The rotating exhibit, part of a partnership between The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and the Hagerty Drivers Foundation, showcases automobiles from the National Historic Vehicle Register that tell the story of the automobile in American history.
The National Historic Vehicle Register, the only federal assemblage of its kind, is a record of the nation’s most significant vehicles and is archived in the Historic American Engineering Record at the Library of Congress. The Cord became just the 33rd vehicle inducted into the register in March of 2023.
Since debuting on the classic car show circuit at the 2021 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, owner Jack Boyd Smith Jr.’s phenom-on-wheels has amassed significant distinction, awards, and ‘buzz.’ The Cord, furthered by its invitation to The Henry Ford Museum, continues to emerge as one of the more storied and historically significant automobiles among classic car collections worldwide.
“Growing up in the Midwest, there are institutions you come to love and revere at a very young age, and The Henry Ford Museum was—and always will be, for me—one of those special places,” said Smith Jr. “This is a great achievement for what is truly a remarkable automobile. Amelia Earhart’s 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton Convertible is woven into the fabric of American history. I’m thankful to the Hagerty Drivers Foundation and The Henry Ford Museum for including the Cord in this magnificent, ongoing exhibition.”
The Henry Ford Museum is the largest indoor-outdoor museum in the United States and a global destination to over one and a half million visitors each year. The museum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, and its property was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1981. Artifacts among the museum’s many campuses and exhibits include Thomas Edison’s laboratory, Abraham Lincoln’s chair from the Ford’s Theatre, and the Quadricycle—Henry Ford’s first car.
The Cord, designed by legendary American automotive designer Gordon M. Buehrig, was famously pictured in 1936 with Earhart, alongside her beloved Lockheed 10E Electra airplane. After the aviator’s disappearance the vehicle passed through several owners and eventually was disassembled and parted throughout the country. In 2018, Smith Jr. purchased the Cord from previous owner Ray Foster, who toiled for years to reunite the vehicle’s original body, frame, and engine. Smith Jr. then worked with the restoration experts at Nappanee, Indiana’s LaVine Restorations, Inc. to painstakingly bring the Cord back to its former, exact glory.
Weeks before its installation at The Henry Ford Museum, the Cord was named Best in Class in the CCCA Full Classics category at the 2024 Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance and Motoring Festival in South Carolina. Earlier in 2024, the Cord was presented on display at the Royal Automobile Club in London, England, and The JBS Collection announced that the multiple award-winning vehicle—and the behind-the-scenes story of its unlikely restoration—would be the subject of an upcoming episode of the popular new series, The Journey.
Produced by The JBS Collection, in association with LaVine Restorations and Eyedart Creative Studio, The Journey is an in-depth series in which Smith Jr. and restoration partner Travis LaVine discuss some of the collection’s most unique, memorable, and significant restorations. The series debuted on Oct. 9, 2024.
“My goal as a collector is to find and preserve historical vehicles like the Cord and share them in new and interesting ways with the world,” said Smith Jr., “and I can’t imagine a better place for the Cord to be, for the next six months, than The Henry Ford Museum. So much went into the exact restoration of this Cord—on every level. What Travis and his expert team, and his parents Vivian and Eric LaVine, accomplished to help me bring this car back to life is simply remarkable. Preserving Amelia Earhart’s Cord is one of my greatest achievements as a collector, and we hope so many museum visitors get to enjoy this exhibit. We are humbled by this honor, and we look forward to sharing even more about the Cord, down the road, in our new series The Journey.”
The National Historic Vehicle Register Display is included with admission to The Henry Ford Museum. For more information and updates on hours and tickets, visit thf.org or follow The Henry Ford Museum on social media @thehenryford.