Classic Elegance

by Cheri Randolph

Title

Classic Elegance

Artist

Cheri Randolph

Medium

Photograph

Description

This 1939 Packard V-12 Limousine was built for the Japanese Embassy in San Francisco and impounded by the U.S. government after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After World War II it was sold as surplus to a farmer in Northern California who drove it for more than 40 years. It looks pretty good for a car that’s 70-plus: it has never been restored. It is now owned by classic car collector, Mr. Bob Pond.

Some of the greatest creations of the Classic Era arrived at the very trough of the Great Depression. Nonetheless, Packard was in excellent financial health and redoubled its efforts to dominate America's fine-car market, meeting the competitive threat from Cadillac and Lincoln head-on with the all-new, 12-cylinder Twin Six and a range of spectacular custom bodies by LeBaron and Dietrich, Inc.

By 1933, the name was changed to the Packard Twelve to clearly convey the power behind the new car. It and the Eleventh Series were the last cars with flowing fenders and classic lines, before the advent of the more highly streamlined look. The front ensemble is truly beautiful, with a graceful vee-shaped radiator shell and matching headlights and fender lights. The dash itself is a work of art, looking more like a jeweler's display than an instrument panel.

One of the most respected designers of the classic era, Ray Dietrich was also one of the most influential. After stints at Brewster and LeBaron, he formed Dietrich, Inc., where his smart and elegant designs attracted the attention of Packard management. Soon, Packard became one of Dietrich's best customers. Lacking an in-house styling department, Packard incorporated Dietrich design cues into its later production cars. In fact, after 1933, all open Packards built carried Dietrich body tags. Nevertheless, Dietrich still built a few custom bodies for the senior Packards, and these special cars have come to epitomize the ultimate in Classic Era styling.

The Convertible Victoria is in many respects the most desirable of the Packard custom Dietrichs. Its blind quarters give it an unsurpassed elegance, and unlike the convertible coupe, the car provides far more versatility with luxurious accommodations for up to four. Although the style was offered from 1932 through 1934, the 1934 models have proven to be the most desirable today. They are unique in many respects, offering special "wind-split" trim, a redesigned dash intended to accommodate an optional built-in radio and several chassis enhancements. The body changes, however, make the 1934s so desirable.

The hood was extended back over the cowl to the base of the windshield in an unbroken line from the radiator to the main body, lending a much longer hood than that of the earlier cars. The vent doors were beautifully curved, as were the leading edges of the doors. The combination was, and remains, quite striking, and as a result the 1934 models command substantial premiums today. Although exact numbers are not known, it is believed that as few as three and as many as four or five Style 4072 Dietrich Convertible Victorias may have been built on the Packard Twelve Model 1008 chassis, priced at a commanding $6,080 new. Only three examples are known to exist today.

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July 13th, 2012

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