To
Be
OFFERED
AT
AUCTION
at
RM
Sothebys'
Amelia
Island
event,
22
May
2021.
Estimate:$275,000
-
$325,000
USD
CCCA
Full
Classic
eligible
for
all
club
events
and
CARavansOne
of
fewer
than
100
Packard
Darrins
produced
prior
to
WWIICar
number
13
of
the
1941
production
DarrinsAmong
the
most
collectible
and
highly-desired
Packard
models
The
Packard
Darrin
was
a
special
automobile,
blending
of
the
glory
that
was
Packard
in
the
Classic
Era
with
the
chutzpa
that
was
the
stock-in-trade
of
Howard
"Dutch"
Darrin.
The
result
was
glamor
with
lots
of
pizzazz.Without
Darrin's
insistence,
the
car
would
not
have
been
built
at
all.
Following
his
days
in
Paris,
Darrin
had
settled
in
Hollywood,
immediately
establishing
himself
as
the
purveyor
of
custom
coachwork
to
the
stars.
The
polo
playing-Darrin
was
quickly
accepted
by
the
movie
crowd;
his
well-cultivated
French
accent
fit
in
perfectly.
He
named
his
shop
"Darrin
of
Paris."His
first
client
was
Dick
Powell,
for
whom
he
fashioned
a
two-passenger
Ford
Roadster
in
1937.
Shortly
thereafter,
he
built
a
two-seat
convertible
victoria
roadster
on
a
1937
Packard
One
Twenty
chassis
for
actor
Chester
Morris.
It
led
to
the
idea
of
building
a
five-passenger
version
and
selling
Packard
on
the
idea
of
including
it
as
part
of
its
lineup.
The
initial
word
from
Detroit
was
no
.
.
.
but
that
didn't
stop
him.Darrin
began
with
a
standard
Packard
Eight
Business
Coupe;
little
remained
when
the
transformation
was
completed
(later
cars,
like
this
example,
used
the
larger
138-inch
One-Eighty
chassis).
Most
memorable
are
the
sweeping
cut-down
curves
of
the
doors,
a
signature
styling
feature
commonly
referred
to
as
the
"Darrin
Dip."
Downright
racy
when
compared
to
Lincoln's
Zephyr
Continental,
the
car
remained
unquestionably
a
Packard.Darrin
arranged
to
have
the
car
parked
outside
the
Packard
Proving
Grounds
at
the
time
of
the
annual
dealer's
meeting,
where
attendees
could
not
help
but
see
it.
That,
as
they
say,
was
that!
Pressured
by
its
dealers,
Packard
included
the
Darrin
in
its
1940
catalogue
as
a
Sport
Sedan,
Convertible
Sedan,
and
Convertible
Victoria.
Nearly
one
hundred
were
built
through
1942,
when
WWII
halted
production.
Darrins
were
real
celebrity
cars,
owned
by
the
likes
of
Tyrone
Power,
Errol
Flynn,
Al
Jolson,
Ruby
Keeler,
Preston
Foster,
and
Gene
Krupa.This
lovely
example
benefits
from
a
complete
cosmetic
restoration
finished
in
2020.
The
engine
was
removed
and
rebuilt
with
additional
major
mechanical
work
performed
sometime
after
1997.
Prior
to
the
consignor's
purchase,
the
car
remained
in
the
care
of
just
three
owners
from
1979.
It
retains
its
correct
Packard
AM
radio,
which
has
been
modified
for
AM/FM
reception.
Brightwork
is
described
as
very
nice,
as
is
the
canvas
top.
As
a
CCCA
Full
Classic,
the
Packard
is
eligible
for
club
events
and
CARavans
and
is
considered
one
of
the
most
desirable
models
to
collectors
of
Packards
and
cars
of
the
Classic
Era.To
view
this
car
and
others
currently
consigned
to
this
auction,
please
visit
the
RM
website
at