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Hi

This The Old Motor article features the '34 Twelve Sport Coupe as well as a patent drawings filing by Frank C. Best for an integrated bumper design assigned to Packard.

http://theoldmotor.com/?p=160620

Integrated bumpers might well have shown up on Packards had they exploited this patent.

Steve

Frank Best was one of Packard's more prolific inventors as measured by his patent activity; my analysis shows 67 patents by Best in the 1930s and 40s which put him at #8 in the list of total patents by a Packard employee.

It is an interesting car but to my untrained eye it looks too short and stubby with the back so sloping and abruptly cut off behind the wheels. After the door hinges it just seems out of proportion for such a long hood and fenders. Was that ever a production car and how well did it sell?

I believe 4 examples were made, certainly not a "production" car, more like a cataloged custom. The design did not begin with Packard or Lebaron, it's a near identical copy of a big Mercedes custom

The Mercedes that may well have been the inspiration for the Sport Coupe is the 500K Autobahn Kurier.

Actually I don't think the Sport Coupe was a cataloged custom, at least it does not appear in the 11th Series Custom Car Program catalog. The 1934 LeBaron Runabout Speedster (style 275) was built in-house by Packard's Custom Body Division on a new chassis, the 1106 which was a 12-cylinder chassis with a 135" wheelbase, and is the only model listed for this chassis. In December 1933 Packard's board approved three 1106 chassis to be mounted with special Sport Coupe bodies built by Packard. Perhaps a 4th was later produced, I'm not certain about whether the total was just the first 3 or another was added later.

Four were built. All four exist, although one was brought back from total fire destruction, which is well documented. One was updated by Packard with 1935 features and padded top, with rear quarter window removed.

Quote:



1934 Mercedes Autobahnkurier, V8, Roots-type supercharger, aluminium Body





source: mercedes-benz-passion.com

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