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Dave Mitchell

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Posts posted by Dave Mitchell

    Custom bodied Packards

    in Packard

    Posted

    I really like the Darrin Sedans. Is this the prototype car? I'm know that it is different from the 2 or 3 production cars but I don't know how.

    I think this one was started in Hollywood, if not finished there, and is the first of the three. It was found in Mexico and was in tough shape. Charles Blackman owned it for many years and Mike Ames did a great job restoring it. There is one more 40 and one 41 sedan that I know of.

    Custom bodied Packards

    in Packard

    Posted

    If it is a Rollston, you can most likely get the info on the original owner as most of the records still exist in the hands of a family member. I don't know this particular car. O'Quinn owning it doesn't really mean much other than he liked it when he saw it at auction or his Canadian advisors told him to buy it. I don't think he did great research on the cars he bought, especially the first years he was buying. The two period photos I posted show Rollstons with coach sills and the Waterhouses are straight. I think Bill Snyder (Ohio/Florida) has a Rollston conv victoria. Waterhouse built a series of them for Packard, so there could be more Waterhouses than Rollstons surviving.

    PreWar Mercedes Benz

    in CCCA - General

    Posted

    Is this the one that sold at the Rolf Meyer auction in 2003? It was a bargain at the time - 700k I believe. Perhaps the right hand drive held it back. I like the leather boot also. Although, if you see one done in the top of the line German cloth with the correct padding it looks as nice.

    Not sure, but it is in Europe now I think. These are photos a friend sent from the Lake Como concours.

    Custom bodied Packards

    in Packard

    Posted

    The Kellner is an interesting car too. I haven't seen it for years, but I recall that the interior was nice. I wonder how much work they had to do to refit it - the Packard chassis must be larger.

    Custom bodied Packards

    in Packard

    Posted

    Body swaps onto newer chassis certainly had it's era with the wealthy. I've probably posted these before, but just in case....

    The Barbara Hutton car, Brewster body on a 35 Twelve (Jim Pearsall photo)

    The Ruth Gordon car, Pierce body on a 37 Twelve (my photo).

    Thanks for posting - I don't remember the Hutton car. Does it still exist? That is really interesting and doesn't look as jarring as the Pierce body.

    Custom bodied Packards

    in Packard

    Posted

    Feel the same way about the '33-34 Dietrich Sport Sedan. one of the best closed cars of the period. Would add the '41 LeBaron Sport Brougham.

    Agreed, absolutely. I like the Sport Broughams a lot. I think they are great looking and better than the open 41s. These were expensive semi customs and considering how down the market was in 41 and how few seniors they sold, the Sport Broughams were a real success. I like the thin chrome window frames and the "hard top" styling with the trunk and the sharp line that defines the belt from the top at the back. The proportions are excellent and fit nicely on the middle wheelbase. They also have very nice interiors with great wood trim. All in all a great car. You can see why Packard dropped the Darrin sedan from the catalog and added the LeBaron.

    Custom bodied Packards

    in Packard

    Posted

    One would look a long time to find a better looking closed car, Dave. Not sure who combines formal lines and some element of sportiness better than Dietrich did. Thanks for putting this one up!

    I'll go one farther and say that this is as good looking as most open cars.

    Custom bodied Packards

    in Packard

    Posted

    The 443 Brewster is also an interesting car, tall and formal with very appropriate period colors. I like limousines and formal cars a lot - they were often the best appointed, most luxurious and most expensive bodies. I'd like to see the interior of this one.

    Custom bodied Packards

    in Packard

    Posted

    The 32 Murphy is an interesting car from the Pollard collection where I saw it some years ago. It looks very similar to bodies Murphy did in 27/28, such as the car that won BOS at Pebble for Phil Hill.

    Custom bodied Packards

    in Packard

    Posted

    Great street photo of the 40 town car - I like the driver in uniform and also the man talking to him - another driver or maybe a doorman or the footman who was with him waiting to open the door for the lady after a hard day's shopping in Bergdorf's. The razor edge is accentuated with the front roof closed. Notice the blackwalls also.

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