1936 Packard Twelve All Weather Cabriolet by LeBaron: just
released from over 45 years of single family ownership
Previously owned by iconic silent film star Charlie Chaplin
Incredibly rare Packard Twelve All Weather Cabriolet
One of very few built
One of only a handful known to exist
California car from new
Only 11,070 believed-to-be original miles
Used in "The Godfather" as well as the 1978 film "The Betsy"
starring Laurence Olivier, Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones
Options include:
Dual side mount spares
Luggage rack
Roll up partition window
Rear fold away seating
Trippe safety lights
Painted wire wheels
Whitewall tires
Excellent opportunity to acquire an incredibly rare Packard with
excellent provenance
Perfect candidate for a full concours level restoration
Recently serviced
A collector’s dream!
1936 proved to be a tremendous year for Packard with the new 120
model providing a huge boost in sales. This pushed Packard to its
largest production year thus far with nearly 81,000 cars leaving
the Michigan facility during 1936. Despite the effects of the Great
Depression, Packard had successfully rebranded its image from being
exclusively a luxury marque to one that met the needs of the
working middle class all the while still building models for the
most elite of clientele. The Packard Twelve continued to be the
gold standard of production with the massive 7.8 liter V12 engine
producing 175hp. Only 682 Packard Twelve chassis would be built for
1936 and while a various number of bodies were available from the
factory, a few were sent to coachbuilders such as LeBaron. One of
the most striking designs was the 1407 Series All Weather Cabriolet
that was built as a limited, special order only model. It was just
as luxurious as it was stylish and had a pricetag to reflect this.
It was one of Packard's most expensive models and cost $6,290 new -
the equivalent of over $110,000 today.
The 1936 Packard Twelve All Weather Cabriolet featured here, with a
registration number of 188648, has some of the best provenance of
any Packard Twelve that can be found on the market. This
magnificent motorcar is one of very few Packard Twelve All Weather
Cabriolets known to exist and comes finished in stunning Hunter
Green over black with a beautiful green interior. It was sold new
in Hollywood, California, and was eventually owned by iconic silent
film star Charlie Chaplin during his ownership of Charlie Chaplin
Studios before being acquired by a Southern California collector in
1971. The family would retain ownership until the fall of 2017.
During its 45 plus years of collector ownership, this Packard was
rented by several television and movie studios for use both on the
big and small screen. Packard 188648 was famously used in the 1978
automotive industry drama “The Betsy” starring Academy Award
winners Laurence Olivier, Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones.
Additionally, it was later used in the second season of “Remington
Steele” staring Pierce Brosnan. A truly unique Packard with
incredible history, 188648 remains extremely well presentable to
this day. Having previously undergone a light cosmetic restoration
on the exterior, the automobile remains largely original on the
inside showing just over 11,000 believed-to-be actual miles. The
older cosmetic restoration is beginning to show its age with some
patina and wear which only adds to the charm of this iconic
motorcar. A largely complete example of an extremely rare coach
built Packard, 188648 would make an excellent candidate for a full
concours level restoration or to simply be enjoyed as is.
Don’t miss an incredible opportunity to own not just an extremely
rare car, but a very historic one as well. We are proud to offer
this Packard Twelve to the most astute collector or enthusiast who
understands and appreciates the investment potential of this great
American marque. Ready to make an investment that you can actually
enjoy? Classic cars have proven to be among the most resilient and
rewarding investments in recent years with the Historic Automobile
Group Index (HAGI) jumping 39% in 2013, 16% in 2014 and 17% in 2015
while posting gains of 467% over the last 10 years. Please contact
one of our expert sales consultants at (314)291-7000 or
[email protected] for more information. They will be happy to give
you a complete walk-around, supply you with a more detailed
description and answer any questions you may have. Buy with
confidence.
Trades welcome! Financing available! Please visit www.schmitt.com
to view our full inventory.
