Glen and his "baby"
On March 24, 2011 the world of Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg lost a colorful member and enthusiastic promoter in Glenn Pray.
Pray was a schoolteacher in OKlahoma when he acquired the Auburn Cord Deusenberg Company in 1960. This firm had been established in 1938 by Dallas Winslow, a Buick dealer from Flint, Michigan, who purchased the remaining assets of Auburn Automobile Company and continued to offer parts and service from the original administration building in Auburn. Pray moved the remaining parts stock to a former cannery--the infamous "Pickle Plant"--in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and went into business.
In the years to come, Pray acquired a reputation as one of the foremost dealers in Auburn and Cord parts, which he sold from the original parts bins in which they arrived in Broken Arrow. A visit to the “Pickle Plant” became a tradition for enthusiasts traveling west, who would spend time searching the bins for that elusive piece to complete their restoration. It is because of Glenn Pray that the original parts for our favorite cars were saved and became available to future generations, as they had been available in the 1940s and 1950s.
Pray’s other major contribution to the ACD world was the introduction of a new Auburn and Cord in the 1960s. These were the original “replicars,” although Pray himself disdained the term, preferring “second generation.” Arguably Pray’s "second generation” cars were the finest of their type, and while they were not a financially successful venture for him, they have built their own devoted following. Today, they are recognized alongside the originals of the Classic Era by the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club, which refers to them, fittingly, as the Second Generation Cars.
Whether your favorite Auburn or Cord hails from the 1930's or the 1970's, Glenn Pray had what it took to keep it going.
-Chris Summers
Pray was a schoolteacher in OKlahoma when he acquired the Auburn Cord Deusenberg Company in 1960. This firm had been established in 1938 by Dallas Winslow, a Buick dealer from Flint, Michigan, who purchased the remaining assets of Auburn Automobile Company and continued to offer parts and service from the original administration building in Auburn. Pray moved the remaining parts stock to a former cannery--the infamous "Pickle Plant"--in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and went into business.
In the years to come, Pray acquired a reputation as one of the foremost dealers in Auburn and Cord parts, which he sold from the original parts bins in which they arrived in Broken Arrow. A visit to the “Pickle Plant” became a tradition for enthusiasts traveling west, who would spend time searching the bins for that elusive piece to complete their restoration. It is because of Glenn Pray that the original parts for our favorite cars were saved and became available to future generations, as they had been available in the 1940s and 1950s.
Pray’s other major contribution to the ACD world was the introduction of a new Auburn and Cord in the 1960s. These were the original “replicars,” although Pray himself disdained the term, preferring “second generation.” Arguably Pray’s "second generation” cars were the finest of their type, and while they were not a financially successful venture for him, they have built their own devoted following. Today, they are recognized alongside the originals of the Classic Era by the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club, which refers to them, fittingly, as the Second Generation Cars.
Whether your favorite Auburn or Cord hails from the 1930's or the 1970's, Glenn Pray had what it took to keep it going.
-Chris Summers
The Lost Cord
In 1952 Glenn Pray started teaching high school auto mechanics at Central High School in Tulsa Oklahoma.
He had fallen in love with the famous Gordan Buehrig designed 1936, 1937 Cord Phaeton as a young man and posted a photo of one on the school bulletin board. He asked the students to search the Tulsa area for a Cord for sale. The students located a 1937 Cord Super-charged Phaeton in need of much repair. With Glenn’s skill at trading he was able to purchase his dream car. Over the next year or so Glenn Pray completed a restoration of what he considered the most beautiful car design of all times. Doing all the work himself Pray became an expert on the Cord automobiles. His Cord was driven as the family car and was shown at ACD car meets coast to coast. The Cord was never trailered, always driven. There is video of Glenn Pray driving it in the first ever Parade of Classics in 1956 in Auburn Indiana with is wife Nita who was pregnant with their 3rd child. Considered a family treasure, the Cord would never be sold, however, Glenn jumped on an opportunity to purchase the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Co. located in Auburn Indiana and was forced to sell his beloved Cord to help raise the money to purchase a defunct Automobile factory. So in 1961 Glenn found a new home for his Cord with James C. Leake.
Very disheartened to see his Cord go, he had it in the back of his head that someday when he was successful he might have the opportunity to buy it back. He learned that Mr. Leake sold “his” Cord in 1962 and lost track of its whereabouts after that. Years went by and know one had heard of or seen Glenn’s Cord again. In the 1970s and again in the 1980s Glenn was in a position to try and find his Cord with the hope of buying it back. Looking through The ACD Club roster and seeking the help of Cord historians the Cord could not be located. It was not registered nor had it been seen at any car shows. The Cord experts presumed it had surely left the country. Glenn Pray went on to automotive fame and produced over 350 second Generation Glenn Pray Auburns, Cords and one Duesenberg. In the book “The Man Who Brought Legends to Life”, the story is told of Glenn Pray’s famous “Lost Cord” and shows a photo of Glenn as a young man receiving his first trophy for his fantastic Cord Phaeton. Glenn never did find or see his Cord again. Glenn Pray passed away in 2011 leaving behind a lifetime of accomplishments in the Auburn Cord Duesenberg world.
Fast forward to 2014. Doug Pray takes over the Famous Auburn Cord Duesenberg Co with the help of
Glenn Pray’s long time friend and general manager Felix DeGuyter, they sought to keep Glenn Prays legacy alive.
They continued selling NOS parts from the original parts bins and started locating as many of the Glenn Pray built cars as possible. This led to the purchase of many of Glenn’s original built cars and added to the new success of the ACD Co. Doug and Felix purchase and broker many Glenn Pray cars as well as the original Auburn Cord and Duesenberg’s the factory built in the 1920’s and 1930’s. In July of 2013 the well known TV show “American Pickers” filmed an episode or “pick” at Glenn Pray’s ACD Co. in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The show featured many of Glenn’s accomplishments as well as purchases from his private collection of memorabilia. Several months after the show aired in a re-run in 2014, Glenn’s son Doug received a call. The man said he had been watching an episode of American Pickers with his father. His dad had purchased a 1937 supercharged Cord Phaeton in about 1965 from the estate of a deceased gentleman. He now wanted to sell it, needing the money for health reasons. After getting the description of the Cord, Doug thought it sounded a lot like his dad’s Cord he had remembered as a child. The serial number plate did not have a number stamped on it and the engine number was used for the title. The engine number did not match Glenn’s Cord but it seemed that it could be the “Lost Cord”. Doug started researching his dads record’s and found the original serial number plate from his dad’s Cord. Glenn had replaced it with a NOS plate during restoration and never put the numbers on the new plate. He also learned that his dad had replaced the worn out engine with a rebuilt engine. Engine numbers meant nothing in the 50’s and 60’s, but he did keep a record of the number of the replacement engine he put in his Cord. The same number that was on the engine of the Cord located in a barn north of Detroit. The “lost Cord” had been found! With more searching Doug located the original matching numbers engine block stored safely away in Glenn Pray’s old factory building since 1960. He now had the original serial number plate and the original engine block. Now all he had to do was make a deal for the purchase of the “lost Cord”. The price of supercharged Cords has risen dramatically over the years and the owner new the value of a barn find Cord. The Cord sat in a barn and had not been driven in 45 years. The barn took its toll on the famous Cord but it was complete down to its cigarette lighter with the same tires Glenn put on it in the 1950’s. They still held air.
The Famous “Lost Cord” has come full circle and is now being offered for sale by none other than the James C. Leake Auction Co. in Tulsa Oklahoma. Glenn’s Cord was considered one of the finest Cords in the world in the late 1950’s and the Pray family has decided to part with it once again, hoping a new owner will restore it to its former Glory.
June 07, 2015 The Lost Cord was sold in Tulsa at the Leake auction.
He had fallen in love with the famous Gordan Buehrig designed 1936, 1937 Cord Phaeton as a young man and posted a photo of one on the school bulletin board. He asked the students to search the Tulsa area for a Cord for sale. The students located a 1937 Cord Super-charged Phaeton in need of much repair. With Glenn’s skill at trading he was able to purchase his dream car. Over the next year or so Glenn Pray completed a restoration of what he considered the most beautiful car design of all times. Doing all the work himself Pray became an expert on the Cord automobiles. His Cord was driven as the family car and was shown at ACD car meets coast to coast. The Cord was never trailered, always driven. There is video of Glenn Pray driving it in the first ever Parade of Classics in 1956 in Auburn Indiana with is wife Nita who was pregnant with their 3rd child. Considered a family treasure, the Cord would never be sold, however, Glenn jumped on an opportunity to purchase the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Co. located in Auburn Indiana and was forced to sell his beloved Cord to help raise the money to purchase a defunct Automobile factory. So in 1961 Glenn found a new home for his Cord with James C. Leake.
Very disheartened to see his Cord go, he had it in the back of his head that someday when he was successful he might have the opportunity to buy it back. He learned that Mr. Leake sold “his” Cord in 1962 and lost track of its whereabouts after that. Years went by and know one had heard of or seen Glenn’s Cord again. In the 1970s and again in the 1980s Glenn was in a position to try and find his Cord with the hope of buying it back. Looking through The ACD Club roster and seeking the help of Cord historians the Cord could not be located. It was not registered nor had it been seen at any car shows. The Cord experts presumed it had surely left the country. Glenn Pray went on to automotive fame and produced over 350 second Generation Glenn Pray Auburns, Cords and one Duesenberg. In the book “The Man Who Brought Legends to Life”, the story is told of Glenn Pray’s famous “Lost Cord” and shows a photo of Glenn as a young man receiving his first trophy for his fantastic Cord Phaeton. Glenn never did find or see his Cord again. Glenn Pray passed away in 2011 leaving behind a lifetime of accomplishments in the Auburn Cord Duesenberg world.
Fast forward to 2014. Doug Pray takes over the Famous Auburn Cord Duesenberg Co with the help of
Glenn Pray’s long time friend and general manager Felix DeGuyter, they sought to keep Glenn Prays legacy alive.
They continued selling NOS parts from the original parts bins and started locating as many of the Glenn Pray built cars as possible. This led to the purchase of many of Glenn’s original built cars and added to the new success of the ACD Co. Doug and Felix purchase and broker many Glenn Pray cars as well as the original Auburn Cord and Duesenberg’s the factory built in the 1920’s and 1930’s. In July of 2013 the well known TV show “American Pickers” filmed an episode or “pick” at Glenn Pray’s ACD Co. in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The show featured many of Glenn’s accomplishments as well as purchases from his private collection of memorabilia. Several months after the show aired in a re-run in 2014, Glenn’s son Doug received a call. The man said he had been watching an episode of American Pickers with his father. His dad had purchased a 1937 supercharged Cord Phaeton in about 1965 from the estate of a deceased gentleman. He now wanted to sell it, needing the money for health reasons. After getting the description of the Cord, Doug thought it sounded a lot like his dad’s Cord he had remembered as a child. The serial number plate did not have a number stamped on it and the engine number was used for the title. The engine number did not match Glenn’s Cord but it seemed that it could be the “Lost Cord”. Doug started researching his dads record’s and found the original serial number plate from his dad’s Cord. Glenn had replaced it with a NOS plate during restoration and never put the numbers on the new plate. He also learned that his dad had replaced the worn out engine with a rebuilt engine. Engine numbers meant nothing in the 50’s and 60’s, but he did keep a record of the number of the replacement engine he put in his Cord. The same number that was on the engine of the Cord located in a barn north of Detroit. The “lost Cord” had been found! With more searching Doug located the original matching numbers engine block stored safely away in Glenn Pray’s old factory building since 1960. He now had the original serial number plate and the original engine block. Now all he had to do was make a deal for the purchase of the “lost Cord”. The price of supercharged Cords has risen dramatically over the years and the owner new the value of a barn find Cord. The Cord sat in a barn and had not been driven in 45 years. The barn took its toll on the famous Cord but it was complete down to its cigarette lighter with the same tires Glenn put on it in the 1950’s. They still held air.
The Famous “Lost Cord” has come full circle and is now being offered for sale by none other than the James C. Leake Auction Co. in Tulsa Oklahoma. Glenn’s Cord was considered one of the finest Cords in the world in the late 1950’s and the Pray family has decided to part with it once again, hoping a new owner will restore it to its former Glory.
June 07, 2015 The Lost Cord was sold in Tulsa at the Leake auction.