1933 Packard 1006 Twelve Convertible Sedan

After stints at Brewster and LeBaron, Ray Dietrich left to form Dietrich Inc., where his designs attracted the attention of Packard management, and soon became one of Dietrich's best customers. After 1933, all open Packards carried Dietrich body tags.

The 1932 through 1932 Packards had clean lines, substantial chassis improvements, and modern looks. Of these, the tenth and eleventh-series cars are often considered to be the ultimate classic-era Packards. They were the last cars with the classic swept fender lines, before the advent of the streamlined look.

This example was the 51st Packard convertible coupe produced in 1933, making this among the last, if not the last, example built. The chassis components date from 1934 and are very low, early numbers, so it is believed that this is a very late production unit utilizing early 1934 components.

Oklahoma collector Jim Bradley purchased this in the early 1990s and was subsequently acquired by another prominent collector from Western Michigan. Mr. Bradley purchased the car from collector Robert Schill, of New Hampshire, and it is believed that Mr. Schill purchased the car at Hershey sometime in the 1970s. Since being acquired by the owner in the early-2000s, it was given a thorough cosmetic restoration. It is finished in green with complementing light green leather interior.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at the St. Johns sale presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $250,000 - $325,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $385,000 inclusive of the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2012