1936 Packard Model 1408 Twelve All Weather Town Car

LeBaron created a pair of formal designs on Packard's 14th Series model Twelve including designs on the shorter 1407 model chassis with All-Weather Town Cabriolet coachwork (Style L-294) and on the 1408 chassis with All-Weather Town Car coachwork (Style L-295). The latter had rear-hinged doors, quarter windows, and a 44% premium over a standard TWelve.

This particular example, Packard vehicle number 295-203, is one of approximately 24 examples built and one of three currently known to exist. It was sold on January 28th of 1936 by the Packard Motorcar Company of Boston, Massachusetts, and remained on the East Coast for many years. By the 1980s it had been acquired by a Packard collector in San Francisco, California. At the time, the car was in a rather tired state and was in need of restoration. The new owner had planned to turn the car into a dual-cowl Phaeton but instead, it was sold to Tom Moretti in 1992. Moretti immediately undertook a complete and total restoration that would consume five years. Upon completion, the Packard was finished in a factory-correct dark blue complemented by matching wheel covers and whitewall tires. The interior was reupholstered in blue-gray broadcloth and, in front, the driver's compartment was upholstered in dark blue pleated leather.

This Packard has a Jaeger clock rear of the cabin division, a correct cormorant mascot, vibration-damping bumpers, and a rear luggage rack.

Upon completion, the car was shown at the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it was placed in the 'Closed, custom-bodied American classics' class where it was awarded Best in Class honors. The following year, the Town Car earned First Place in Primary at the CCCA Annual Meeting, a First Place in Senior division at an Indiana Grand Classic, and a First Place in Premier division at a Michigan Grand Classic. The Town Car also won the Warshawsky Best of Show award at the Annual Meeting in San Antonio. Other honors in 1998 include Best of Show at the 8th Annual Burn Prevention Foundation Concours of the Eastern United States, Best Restored at the New Hampshire Concours, and an AACA National First Prize. In 1999, the Town Car received an AACA President's Cup Award, and in 2006 it won First in Class at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance and Outstanding Formal Car at the 2010 Geneva Concours d'Elegance.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2022

This 1936 Packard V-12 Town Car by LeBaron is one of only three known to exist. It is the only Packard Town Car with a removable hard top over the chauffeur's compartment. The car is powered by a 473-cubic-inch, V-12 engine, developing 175 horsepower. The current owner purchased the car in 1991 and completed his own restoration in 1997.