To
Be
OFFERED
AT
AUCTION
at
RM
Sothebys'
Amelia
Island
event,
22
May
2021.
Estimate:$650,000
-
$750,000
USD
Offered
from
a
prominent
private
collectionThe
final
factory-built
dual-cowl
phaeton
produced
by
PackardOne
of
five
authentic
examples
built
in
1936Long-term
history
with
well-known
enthusiastsAward-winning
concours
restoration
with
recent
fresheningClassic
Car
Club
of
America
(CCCA)
Full
Classic
Packard's
Fourteenth
Series
models
of
1936
adopted
more
streamlined
styling
and
included
the
company's
final
open
phaetons
and
touring
cars.
The
romantic
dual-cowl
Sport
Phaeton
saw
only
five
authentic
examples
built
on
the
twelve-cylinder,
144-inch-wheelbase
1407
chassis,
only
three
of
which
remain
in
existence
today.Vehicle
no.
921-205,
offered
here,
is
the
latest
known
of
the
three
surviving
Sport
Phaetons
built
in
1936
and
is
the
last
known
authentic
factory-built
dual-cowl
phaeton
on
a
twelve-cylinder
Packard
chassis.
Its
original
vehicle
number
tag
on
the
firewall
identifies
it
as
having
been
sold
by
the
Packard
Motor
Company
of
New
York,
a.k.a.
"Park
Avenue
Packard,"
on
16
November
1936,
late
in
the
model
year.The
Sport
Phaeton's
further
history
has
been
traced
back
to
Don
Di
Michele
of
Hudson,
Ohio,
a
fireworks
manufacturer
and
evangelist
on
the
tent
revival
circuit
who
was
an
early,
notable
collector
of
Full
Classics.
Di
Michele
was
a
notably
private
individual
and
his
cars
were
seldom
shown;
however,
this
Packard
appeared
in
a
photograph
of
his
collection
in
the
Akron
Beacon-Journal
in
1967.
Reportedly,
he
may
have
owned
the
car
as
early
as
the
late
1950s,
and
it
remained
in
his
ownership
a
very
solid
and
original,
rust-free
example.The
Packard
was
eventually
sold
by
Di
Michele
to
the
prolific
collector,
Dr.
Donald
Vesley
of
Tampa,
Florida,
who
refinished
it
in
cream
with
a
black
interior,
matching
the
car
to
a
famous
Fortune
magazine
advertisement.
Dr.
Vesley
later
passed
the
Packard
as
part
of
a
twenty-car
transaction
to
the
famed
enthusiast
Rick
Carroll,
who
dealt
it
to
his
friend
Don
Mayoras
of
Pennsylvania.
Mr.
Mayoras
displayed
the
car
at
several
East
Coast
concours,
noting
that
it
always
won
an
award
whenever
and
wherever
it
was
shown.In
September
1995
the
Packard
was
sold
to
Jerome
Sauls
and
Fran
Roxas
on
behalf
of
their
longstanding
client,
Ron
Benach,
for
whom
Mr.
Roxas
completed
a
full
restoration
to
immaculate
original
condition.
Mr.
Benach
displayed
the
Packard
at
the
Pebble
Beach
Concours
d'Elegance
in
1996,
receiving
a
class
award,
and
at
the
1998
CCCA
Michigan
Grand
Classic,
scoring
100
points
and
earning
Senior
badge
no.
2178.
The
car
eventually
returned
to
Pebble
Beach
as
an
exhibit-only
entrant
in
2010.Following
over
two
decades
in
the
Benach
stable,
the
Sport
Phaeton
joined
the
present
owner's
collection.
It
has
received
the
excellent
care,
with
a
full
freshening
and
detail
by
Harbor
Auto
Restoration
of
Rockledge,
Florida
and
a
new
interior
by
Sharp
Automotive
Upholstery
of
Elyria,
Ohio.
Once
more
it
returned
to
Pebble
Beach
in
2019,
and
was
again
an
award-winner
in
its
class,
followed
by
the
receipt
of
a
Palmetto
Award
at
Hilton
Head
that
autumn.Today
this
Sport
Phaeton,
believed
the
last
built
of
its
kind,
remains
in
show-worthy
condition
throughout.
Further,
in
addition
to
the
aforementioned
original
Vehicle
Number
tag,
the
car
retains
both
of
its
original
body
number
tags
further
confirming
its
original
specification
as
a
Model
1207
Dual
Cowl
Sport
Phaeton;
original
body
number
stampings
are
still
even
present
in
the
body's
wooden
framework.Bearing
excellent
known
history
and
well-known
authenticity,
this
is
a
peerless
Packard
worthy
of
a
home
in
the
finest
Full
Classic
collection-the
kind
of
company
it
has
known
for
over
five
decades.To
view
this
car
and
others
currently
consigned
to
this
auction,
please
visit
the
RM
website
at