Vehicle Description
Packard Vehicle No. 1806-2031
Chassis No. V520265P
Engine No. CC504286D
When Packard elected to officially offer Howard "Dutch" Darrin's
designs as factory coachwork in its 1940 catalog, it upended the
marque's traditionally conservative image. The previous fall,
Packard had introduced its Eighteenth Series for the 1940 model
year, streamlining its lineup to the mid-priced One-Twenty and the
flagship Custom Super Eight One-Eighty. While bespoke bodies had
largely given way to standardized production in the wake of the
Great Depression, dealer demand persuaded Packard's board to
include three Darrin-designed bodies-Sport Sedan, Convertible Sedan
and the two-door Convertible Victoria-in the official literature
for the first time.
Dutch Darrin, whose career was forged in Paris alongside Tom
Hibbard and Fernandez & Darrin, returned to Hollywood in 1937 and
immediately cultivated an elite clientele by constructing
show-stopping coachwork on Packard One-Twenty chassis for stars
such as Chester Morris. His Convertible Victoria featured the
iconic "Darrin dip" aft of the doors, seamlessly faired-in trunk
and the bold elimination of running boards-styling cues that
contrasted sharply with Packard's usual styling. After famously
parking a prototype outside the Packard Proving Grounds at the
annual dealer meeting, Darrin secured approval for full factory
production on both the 127-inch One-Twenty and the 138-inch
One-Eighty chassis.
Despite Packard's capacity to build these designs in Indiana under
Darrin's supervision, production remained deliberately limited.
Marque historian Don Figone estimates that just 72 Darrin-bodied
Packards emerged in 1940. Of these, a mere 44 rode on the Custom
Super Eight One-Eighty chassis, and the remainder on the mid-range
One-Twenty platform. Today, these catalog-listed Darrins stand as
singular artifacts of Packard's final coachbuilding chapter.
This particular example, Packard Vehicle number 1806-2031, was
clothed in Darrin's breathtaking Convertible Victoria coachwork
and, according to research conducted by Mr. Figone, was owned by
Packard's preferred client Sally Eddy, daughter of Pittsburgh
industrialist Archibald Montgomery McCrea. The McCreas were
renowned for rescuing and restoring Carter's Grove, a 750-acre
Colonial estate on Virginia's James River considered to be one of
the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the United States.
It is believed that Miss Eddy's Darrin spent its formative decades
amidst the storied grounds of Carter's Grove before passing through
an interim steward.
In 1972, the car entered the celebrated collection of Claude and
William Pettit, who for 58 years had operated Chrysler, Dodge and
Plymouth franchises in Louisa, Virginia while assembling an
impressive collection of American classics. William Pettit counted
Packard number 1806-2031 among his personal favorites,
commissioning an early restoration that would see the Convertible
Victoria shown successfully on the concours circuit and earn
numerous top honors. The current owner acquired this prized Darrin
from the Pettit estate in 2012 and immediately entrusted its care
to Bob Lorkowski and his team at L'Cars in Cameron, Wisconsin. In
2013, L'Cars undertook a full nut-and-bolt, show-level restoration
to the highest standards: the original coachwork was flawlessly
refinished in Laguna Maroon Iridescent, the interior re-trimmed in
supple beige leather, and every mechanical component-including the
chassis and undercarriage-was brought up to pristine, freshly
restored condition. Today, the restoration still shows fresh and
stands as quite possibly one of the finest restored example of a
factory Darrin Convertible Victoria extant.
The result of the Pettits' four decades of dedicated stewardship
and its subsequent restoration to concours-level condition is a
Packard Darrin beyond compare. Whether gracing concours lawns or
leading touring events, Packard number 1806-2031 embodies the
glamour of Hollywood's Golden Age while showcasing the very best of
Dutch Darrin's design artistry.
