Vehicle Description
In 1932, while facing America's worsening economic depression,
luxury car builders seemingly put their heads down and produce ever
more luxurious machines at the top of their ranges. But companies
like Packard knew they needed large reserves of cash if they were
to survive the next few years. One of the strategies employed by
Packard to deal with the Great Depression was to consolidate as
much of its body construction and trimmings as possible in its own
facilities, filling the space that was becoming under-used as
production dropped. Factory bodies became ever more popular with
buyers, but custom coachbuilding was still far from dead, and
Packard was particularly keen on maintaining a strong relationship
with Murray Corporation's affiliate, Dietrich Inc. Raymond
Dietrich's reputation was beyond reproach among stylists of the
late 1920s and early 1930s, and his designs provided welcome new
ideas and concepts for Packard's own coachwork. With the 9th
series, Dietrich performed some of his best work; beautiful,
elegant machines that made the best of Packard's fabulous new
chassis that was larger, more powerful and faster than any standard
model that preceded it. In particular, the "Individual Custom by
Dietrich" bodies, which were custom tailored for the flagship
senior Packard Chassis (9th, 10th and 11th series) truly reflected
the masterful talent of Dietrich. Though they could be purchased
directly from a Packard dealer, they were hugely expensive,
representing the most costly models available aside from true
one-off custom coachwork. Each body was custom-tailored to the
buyer's wishes and in many ways they were the last truly custom
Dietrich bodies, as later production cars wearing the Dietrich name
simply borrowed styling cues from earlier Individual Customs. �Even
after Dietrich's ouster from the firm that bore his name, his
influence was felt on Packard's design catalog for many years to
come, and Dietrich-bodied Packards continue to draw attention from
collectors and enthusiasts for their impeccable, breathtaking
style. Our gorgeous featured Packard is a 1932 Eight Deluxe 904
wearing rare and desirable Individual Custom Sport Phaeton
coachwork by Dietrich. This fabulous car was sold new on August
18th 1932 by Douglas M. Longyear, Inc., also known as Hollywood
Motors, a Packard dealer located just down the road from the
Grauman's Chinese Theater. It has been fully restored to concours
standards in its fabulous original color scheme of Moss Agate Grey
on the body and chassis, with Aztec Olivine Brown feature lines and
off-white coach stripes. Fine details include body colored louvers
in the radiator grille, and body colored wheel rims contrasting
chrome hubs and spokes. The car rides on a set of brand new
blackwall tires for an effect that is understated yet quite
striking, perfectly suited to Ray Dietrich's fabulous and sporty
styling. As these cars were built to suit for the buyer, it is
clear the original owner had quite fine taste. The presentation is
fabulous, the car having been treated to a recent full restoration
to very high standards of quality. Paintwork, body fitment and
detailing are exquisite as one would expect from a concours quality
restoration. Chrome plating is beautiful and the body is adorned
with a Goddess of Speed mascot, dual sidemount spare wheels with
body colored covers, chrome counterweighted bumpers, and an
original luggage rack in the rear. The Sport Phaeton body style
gives the car a long, low slung and sporting appearance, with its
laid-back split windscreen and gracefully sweeping fenders. Rear
passengers are kept comfortable thanks to a separate central
windscreen with unique, half-moon wind-wings that fold outward. For
the full open-air effect, the rear screen can be fully retracted
into the back of the front seat. The lush and luxurious cabin is
trimmed in light mocha-colored leather front and rear. The seats
and carpets appear absolutely fresh with no apparent wear and
extremely high quality presentation. Beautiful door panels are
covered in matching leather and properly detailed, capped with
gorgeous wood trim. The dash houses a beautiful array of factory
instruments and controls, all finished to a high standard. As one
should expect from such an impeccably prepared Senior Packard of
this era, the car is mechanically robust and has been enjoyed for
many thousands of miles on tours and events through the years. It
remains in fabulous order, with a properly detailed inline-eight
cylinder engine and a clean and tidy chassis. The most recent
owners have treated the car to a thorough freshening, and it has
appeared at events such as the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
and Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. This fabulous Individual
Custom Dietrich is presented in attractive colors, is a joy to
drive and is virtually concours ready. This is a marvelous
opportunity to acquire one of the most stylish and desirable
Packards of the Classic Era, fresh from long-term stewardship in a
large and important collection.
