Packard Darrin

I noticed it was missing, but I keep forgetting to ask what happened to it. Corny Hauck was the guy who donated it to the museum. I always thought the roof came from the Packard concept car (Bronze Bomber??), but I don't think anyone has any real solid information as to its provenance.

A few years ago we did the interior in that car in an effort to make Pebble in the preservation class. It made it but got tagged in the rt frt fender on the tour (!). The top was ABSOLUTELY the "Brown Bomber" top, but the photos I looked at were when it was a "DeVille" concept with the Lucite (?) cover over the driver's seat.. When it went on is anyone's guess but with the headliner gone all the evidence was there and coincided with photos in a couple Packard books that had some detail visible. Cool car, but most assuredly an acquired taste.

How bout this lost "Darrin"? Could it still be out there somewhere? In the '70's, the late Tucker owner Ray Burton of Fairfax, Va. had a Packard Darrin-like creation that had formerly been a Rollston or Lebaron (?) Packard 4 door of ca.1940 vintage. He swapped it off to a mutual friend, who in turn offered to trade it to me for my '37 Cord. While he made no mention of it having any "shakes", it did have the peculiar problem of losing its drive shaft now and then. Happily, the Cord is still mine. .

In Sept we did the NE caravan covering 1k trouble free miles in a 40 Super Eight.   This is a Connersville car,  no rattles, shakes, etc.   Spent most of the time chasing a V12 Pierce and Model J that were flying.   I got to talk to a 39 120 Darrin guy on the tour (who had brought a different car) and asked him if he had ever had build quality issues with his car and he said none. This was not a Connersville car (at least I don't think it was).   

It is my understanding the Darrin built his cars on the junior 120s because they were cheaper to buy. Later, when Packard started making them they went up market to the senior 180s for more prestige and price.

(o[]o)

That's a nice looking Pierce Arrow bumper in front of the Darrin! Notice the Model J isn't in the photo? Seems you boys had a hard time keeping up! ?

I could keep up but I kept bumping up against the Pierce.

You can just see the back of the Duesenberg under the rear view mirror.

Wow.  Check out the estimate on this  1940 120 Darrin.  http://www.rmsothebys.com/az17/arizona/lots/1940-packard-one-twenty-convertible-victoria-by-darrin/1701659

Not a fan of the fender skirts but otherwise looks like a nice car.