Re: 1928 Custom-Bodied 7-Passenger Phaeton

Posted by John Iaccino On 2015/12/17 9:21:17

BDC, the pictures exist, but I do not have access to them. I met him at his place in the middle 60's. At that time he was just a guy that worked for the Packard dealer in Albany and saved a lot of parts cars. He fabricated an Auburn Speedster out of a twelve cylinder Packard. I personally know of a man who has a Super 8 car that he put a V12 into, but the engine is too heave for the front end. The result is that the front end parts are not heavy enough for the engine, resulting in premature wear, so the car is not drivable. The was a Packard 'Speedster' that was built by him which was later passed off as a 'one-off' Hibbard and Darrin. I believe the sale fell through.
I don't think the original builder had ill intent. Just wanted to save some old Packards and enjoyed building cars.
The problem is that the scam artists tried to pass these cars off as customs or semi-customs to make mega bucks. The end result is that in later years, the unknowing believe them to be real.