1939 Packard 1703 Super Eight Convertible Victoria

This 1939 Packard 1703 Super Eight wears Convertible Victoria coachwork by Howard 'Dutch' Darrin. In the early 1920s, he and his fellow expatriate American Thomas Hibbard relocated to France where they established the Hibbard & Darrin design and coachbuilding firm. The financial crisis of 1929 forced them to close, with Hibbard accepting a design position back in Detroit with General Motors. Darrin found another partner in Paris and opened Carrosserie Fernandez et Darrin. In 1937, Darrin returned to the United States and settled in Hollywood, California, where he opened another business known as Darrin of Paris. He quickly established a reputation for his customized cars and unique coachwork, particularly with movie stars.

The earliest known owner of this Packard 1703 Super Eight was a Mrs. Joe Gertner. In the late 1970s, it was acquired by John J. Thompson of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, reportedly from the brother of the President of Mexico. Subsequent owners include Brian Bottini of Marlboro, New York, from whom it was acquired in October 2004 by the Gateway Automobile Museum.

This Packard wears an older restoration that was finished in maroon with straw pinstriping and a tan leather interior. It has modeled plastic instrument bezels, cast steering wheel, Trippe driving lights, bumper guards, a Packard script license plate light, and the signature 'dip' in the car's beltline aft of the front doors. Beneath the bonnet is an engine from 1942, installed later in the car's life. Currently, this Packard has 49,439 recorded miles.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2023