1934 Packard 1101 Eight Coupe Roadster

In the mid-1930s, Packard was the nation's leading luxury car, and one of their cars was prominently placed in the inaugural parade on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1933, for the new president. The new Tenth Series debuted in January and featured as the 'standard' Eight, the successor to the Light Eight of the previous year. This marked the company's continued march towards the mid-priced market, though it was every bit a Packard, with a 120 brake horsepower engine under the bonnet. In total, fewer than 5,000 Tenth Series Packards were produced, with the vast majority being the Senior eight-cylinder models. Just 1,800 Eights were built.

The 1934 Models were considered 11th Series Packards, and though the world was still in the grasp of the Great Depression, they continued to offer a quality product that was out of reach for most individuals. This particular example is a Series 1101 Coupe Roadster that was originally owned by Elizabeth Mullins. Elizabeth (1899–1959) was the daughter of William J. Mullins, a chemist who had moved to Franklin, Pennsylvania, during the Keystone State's oil boom. In 1923, Elizabeth married Edward Emile Koos Jr., the scion of a German family that had immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1860s and had similarly benefited from the oil business. Mr. Koos died in 1926, just two years after the birth of their daughter, Caroline. Both mother and daughter lived comfortably from their inherited wealth.

On July 23, 1934, Elizabeth took delivery of this vehicle from the Freeman Motor Company in neighboring Oil City. The dealer allowed Elizabeth $144.02 on the trade-in of an unidentified vehicle against the $2,798 price of the Packard. She kept the car for the rest of her life. After her passing in 1959, Caroline inherited the car, and although she never married and did not drive, she had it maintained and was driven in it whenever she ventured from the family home. The current owner purchased it from Caroline's estate in 2013.

The paint was redone several decades ago, as well as an interior that was replaced at the same time. It has been serviced and professionally prepared. Currently, the odometer shows just 70,000 miles, which is known to be correct.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2014