The Brucer
National Auto Museum, Reno - 1942 Packard Custom Convertible Victoria
The Museum's placard for this car reads:
1942 PACKARD
Model: Super-8 Custom One-Eighty Convertible Victoria
Built by: Packard Motor Car Co., Detroit, Michigan
Body by: Darrin
Price: $4,550
Engine: L-Head 8 cylinder, 165 H.P.
Bore: 3-1/2 in.
Stroke: 4-5/8 in.
Displacement: 356.0 cu. in.
By 1937, custom coachwork was almost an art of the past. Standard Packard bodies had reached such a degree of comfort and perfection there was little desire for anything finer or flashier, except among the flamboyant and publicity-conscious stars of stage and screen. In that year, Howard “Dutch” Darrin created a beautifully designed convertible on a Packard 120 chassis for actor Dick Powell. Others were built for Clark Gable, Al Jolson, Chester Morris, and Rosalind Russell. By 1939, there was so great a demand for the Darrin-designed Victoria Convertibles that Packard was unable to fill all the orders. West coast customers had Pasadena’s Bohman & Schwartz build replicas, while those in the east turned to Rollston & Derham.
In 1940, Packard persuaded Darrin to go to Detroit to design semi-custom bodies for the factory. The Darrin-designed Victoria Convertibles can be identified by a low hood silhouette with a narrow louver strip, cut-down doors, and Vee windshields that give them a very sporty appearance. The Packard Darrin is one of the most prized Packards in the classic car market today.
Donated by: Harrah’s Hotels & Casinos
Adopted by: Packard Auto Classics (E)
National Auto Museum, Reno - 1942 Packard Custom Convertible Victoria
The Museum's placard for this car reads:
1942 PACKARD
Model: Super-8 Custom One-Eighty Convertible Victoria
Built by: Packard Motor Car Co., Detroit, Michigan
Body by: Darrin
Price: $4,550
Engine: L-Head 8 cylinder, 165 H.P.
Bore: 3-1/2 in.
Stroke: 4-5/8 in.
Displacement: 356.0 cu. in.
By 1937, custom coachwork was almost an art of the past. Standard Packard bodies had reached such a degree of comfort and perfection there was little desire for anything finer or flashier, except among the flamboyant and publicity-conscious stars of stage and screen. In that year, Howard “Dutch” Darrin created a beautifully designed convertible on a Packard 120 chassis for actor Dick Powell. Others were built for Clark Gable, Al Jolson, Chester Morris, and Rosalind Russell. By 1939, there was so great a demand for the Darrin-designed Victoria Convertibles that Packard was unable to fill all the orders. West coast customers had Pasadena’s Bohman & Schwartz build replicas, while those in the east turned to Rollston & Derham.
In 1940, Packard persuaded Darrin to go to Detroit to design semi-custom bodies for the factory. The Darrin-designed Victoria Convertibles can be identified by a low hood silhouette with a narrow louver strip, cut-down doors, and Vee windshields that give them a very sporty appearance. The Packard Darrin is one of the most prized Packards in the classic car market today.
Donated by: Harrah’s Hotels & Casinos
Adopted by: Packard Auto Classics (E)