Darrin Coachbuilders
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 1940 Packard One Twenty Convertible Victoria | 1940 Packard One Twenty Convertible Victoria 150,700.00 USD Offered For Sale at the: RM Auction - Vintage Motor Cars at Meadow Brook Hall August 6, 2005, Auburn Hills, Michigan RM Auctions One Classic Car Drive Blenheim, Ontario N0P 1A0 Canada Phone: 519-352-4575 Website: www.rmauctions.com 1940 Packard One Twenty Convertible Victoria LOT: 096 Estimate: $150,000-$180,000 US Chassis No. I70I2097 AUCTION RESULTS: Lot was Sold at a price of $150,700 120hp 282 cu. in. L-head inline eight-cylinder engine with three-speed synchromesh manual transmission, coil spring independent front suspension, leaf spring live axle rear suspension and four-wheel hydraulic brakes. Wheelbase: 127" With the demise of Packard's Twelve in 1939, the eight-cylinder cars replaced the twelve as Packard’s top offering. Despite of the fact that the senior cars had built the company’s reputation, it was the junior cars, particularly the one twenty, that saved the company. Smooth and sophisticated, they offered the refinement of the senior cars combined with the advanced production techniques and lower costs of the junior cars. It is interesting that Packard and Darrin chose to offer his strikingly beautiful semi-custom convertible victoria body on both the one twenty and one eighty chassis. Other than a small horsepower difference, there was little distinction between the two. On the inside, interior trim was on the cutting edge of technology – it featured a dash fascia molded almost entirely in plastic, well ahead of many of Packard's competitors and undoubtedly an anomaly for the period. In several ways, 1940 and 1941 marked the curtain call for Packard's senior cars. The company sold its tooling off to the Russians after the war, which left it with only the mid-priced Clipper to offer customers during the postwar boom when car manufacturers could do little else but offer prewar automobiles. Similarly, the coachbuilt era was drawing to a close. Before it did, however, some of the most exciting cars of the era, the coveted “Darrin Packards,” were built. The Darrin story begins in the late teens. Howard A. “Dutch” Darrin was a pilot in World War I when he met Thomas L. Hibbard, an automobile designer who had confounded the LeBaron body company in New York. Following the war, the two visited Paris to find a company to build bodies for LeBaron and to take advantage of the lower costs in postwar France. Instead, with a financial backer, the two founded the legendary firm of Hibbard & Darrin and began designing and building their own bodies. After the crash of 1929, their backer withdrew and Hibbard returned to America. Darrin remained in Paris, where he teamed up with another partner to form Fernandez & Darrin. By 1937, however, the writing was on the wall and Darrin returned to Hollywood, California to establish his own small custom body shop. Darrin’s initial designs on the 120 chassis were quite striking, and his order backlog began to grow. It is difficult today to appreciate the dramatic effect that Darrin’s designs had on contemporary eyes. Here was a car with no running boards. It was much lower than other cars and the doors swept gracefully down to meet the quarter panel. Darrins had smoothly integrated trunks at a time when most trunks were separate add-ons, or built out “bumps” on the rear of the car. Even the shape of the top was a design element, not just a replacement for a missing metal roof. Catering to the whims of the stars, his stylish designs were very popular. These striking cars had long hoods, pretty vee windshields, and the famous “Darrin dip” in the beltline at the rear of the doors. His success attracted Packard’s attention and a deal was struck for Packard to manufacture Darrin’s cars under Dutch’s supervision at the Central Body Company’s plant in Connersville, Indiana. It is perhaps even more remarkable that Dutch’s design has stood the test of time so well as they are as striking today as they were in 1938. In a very real sense, they also represent the swan song for the coachbuilt era – the last of the truly custom crafted automobiles. Finished in a striking shade of red and trimmed with a tan leather interior and canvas top, the car is quite striking today. The car is equipped with correct period fog lights, white sidewall tires, and accessory bumper guards. An older restoration, the car is nonetheless in excellent condition today. Some of the dash chrome is showing the patina of age, although the interior leather and carpet remain in excellent condition. The paintwork will require minor attention to attend to small defects, and will benefit from a thorough wetsanding and buffing, following which the appearance of the paintwork should be returned to show condition. Darrin’s cars are extremely popular today. They offer the drivability of Packard’s excellent prewar chassis with its independent front suspension, hydraulic power brakes, and silky smooth steering, combined with the panache of Darrin’s racy design and a healthy dose of Hollywood allure. The fact that they are rare only enhances their appeal – and their value. by Douglas |
 1942 Packard-Darrin One-Eighty Convertible Victoria | 1942 Packard-Darrin One-Eighty Convertible Victoria 1942 Packard-Darrin One-Eighty Convertible Victoria Location: 2009 Concours d'Elegance Amelia Island, Florida Date: March 15, 2009 Photos By: Douglas Wilkinson by Douglas |
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