The story of Glenn Pray is very different from that of Harry Shay covered in Part 1.
Glenn Pray was a school teacher when he purchased the assets of the former Auburn Cord Deusenberg company back in 1960. Upon the winding up of E.L.Cord’s company back in 1938 the assets had been originally purchased by a Buick dealer from Flint Michigan named Dallas Winslow. Winslow has continued to offer parts and service from the original ACD building in Auburn. Upon purchase Pray moved lock stock and barrel to a former cannery in Broken Arrow Oklahoma and set up in business.
Pray gained a reputation as the foremost supplier of Auburn and Cord parts saving may valuable vehicles in the process, his cannery site becoming a must visit for all enthusiasts of the marques.
Starting in the 1960’s Glenn Pray also introduced what became the first well known replica cars, Pray preferred to call the cars “second generation” this endeavour was not a financial success. The cars however have gained a cult following and have been recognised by the ACD club fittingly as “The Second Generation Cars”
Sadly Glenn Pray passed away in 2011
You can find a lot more from Chris Summers about ACD and Glenn Pray here
Glenn’s son Doug carried on the business and it was featured on the TV Show American Pickers
You can hear an interview with Doug on Mark Greene’s excellent “Cars Yeah” podcast here
If you ever get a chance to visit the ACD museum grab it with both hands, I visited a few years ago and it’s a wonderful place!
