1934 Packard 1108 Twelve Sport Sedan

A fabled Dietrich Sport Sedan, now referred to as 'The Car of the Dome,' was Packard's special entry into the 1933 Chicago Century of Progress Exhibition. Dietrich-bodied Packards were the most expensive offerings of the marque, retailing at an astonishing $7,000, when a standard Packard Twelve Sedan could be acquired for just $3,960. A Packard Dietrich 4182 Sport Sedan, powered by a 445 cubic-inch V12 engine atop a 1475-inch wheelbase with assisted power brakes, was only offered in 1934 and produced in very low numbers. This is one of just three such cars known to survive, and each one is subtly different. Having resided in numerous prestigious collections, (Nethercutt, Harrah, Herrington, and Scherr) this car has been faithfully restored to its original specification and colors by its current owner.

Maybe it was born of the times, maybe it was Dietrich. In 2013, a 1934 Packard Twelve 1108 Dietrich Convertible Victoria would take Best of Show honors at Pebble Beach. This was rightly deserved. With exclusivity and striking beauty, there was really no doubt the car had what it took to be the best. It would run in the small family.

The exclusivity would come by design. Initially created for the 1933 Century of Progress International Exposition held in Chicago, Packard would commission Dietrich to design and build a body for one of its Twelve Sport Sedan chassis. It was meant to be a one-off design, and it would be. However, the popularity of the design would be such that Packard could not limit production to just one example.

Therefore, Packard would turn to Dietrich to build a limited run of bodies with a similar look to the exposition model. Today, just three are known to still exist. Chassis 1108-43 is one of those three.

While still something of a mystery, it would appear certain this particular Dietrich Sport Sedan had been ordered by Tom Lyle Williams. And just who was Tom Lyle Williams? Williams may not be readily known, but his company Maybelline certainly has no problem being identified.

Inspired by his sister, Mabel, Williams would begin concocting different mixes until he came up with a product known as 'lash-in-brow-line'. This would give birth to Williams' company named after Mabel—Maybelline.

Producing the first mass-market mascara, Williams' business would take-off and he would soon be able to afford the finer things in life, finery like a Packard Twelve Sport Sedan.

Special features of Williams' Packard Twelve would include the Dietrich body, of course, but also, dual spares, a chrome radiator, and a plush interior replete with comfort and fine details.

Though Williams is believed to have been the one to have ordered the car, the first known owner of the car would be J.B. Nethercutt. Nethercutt was a well-known collector and he purchased the Packard during the middle part of the 1950s. It would be of little wonder why Nethercutt would long after the car given the fact it was not only one of just a couple ever built, but it would be the only one known to come with polished belt molding.

Nethercutt would keep the Packard for about a decade before selling it to another car connoisseur, the casino tycoon William Harrah. It would remain with Harrah for another twenty years before it moved on to Bob Bahre and then Lee Herrington in the early 1990s.

While under Herrington's ownership, the car would undergo restoration through expert Chris Charlton. Entirely restored and refinished in a green color, at the time, the car would be primed for yet another owner.

The current owner would buy the Packard from Herrington in 2005. Little time would be wasted before further restoration efforts would be undertaken. This would include refinishing the car black. All work would be completed by Stone Barn and would be considered, upon completion, as entirely award-worthy, just like its Best of Show brethren.

Undoubtedly one of the highlights of Gooding & Company's record-breaking 2015 Pebble Beach auction, the 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve Dietrich Sport Sedan would draw top dollar. Given its rareness, and the fact its brethren had come through to be a Best of Show winner at Pebble Beach, the bidding on the car would go up and up.

Initial estimates had the Packard coming in somewhere between $2,000,000 and $3,000,000. However, when the gavel finally fell, after more than a few spells of furious bidding, the final sale price would more than crest the $3 million mark. All told, the car would fetch an impressive $3,630,000.

By Jeremy McMullen