1940 Packard Custom Super-8 One-Eighty Convertible Sedan

This 1940 Packard Darrin 1807 Convertible Sedan was shipped to Earle C. Anthony Packard in Los Angeles and was the feature car at the Auto Club of Southern California spring show in downtown Los Angeles in April 1940. It spent most of its early existence on the West Coast and was eventually sold to automotive collectors Lee and Bob Belf in the 1970s. A Detroit-based Packard restorer named Henry Seitz was commissioned to perform a ground-up restoration in the late 1970s, and upon completion, this Darrin received a perfect 100 points at the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA #0927) Grand Classic in 1980.

After 27 years of ownership, the Belfs sold the Packard to Steve Chapman of Waxahachie, Texas. Mr. Chapman enlisted Hatfield Restorations in Canton, Texas, to strip the car to bare metal and rebuild and refinish all the components down to the most minute detail. The goal of the work was to restore originality and authenticity per factory documentation. The body was painted in its original color of Scheme X (black), and the interior was precisely fitted with Lackawanna London tan leather upholstery.

The Packard then earned another perfect 100 points at a major CCCA event, along with an award at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it performed wonderfully on the Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance presented by Rolex. It later won Best of Show at the CCCA Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas, and was ultimately judged 100 points three times in a row.

When not at shows, the Packard resided in Mr. Chapman's climate-controlled collection and sparingly driven.

This 1940 Packard Darrin 1807 COnvertible Sedan is one of 11 examples constructed.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2024