Hi
It is a great issue! Lots of fine Packard coverage.
It's wonderful to know that '31 845 Newport Sport Sedan by Dietrich is the very one in this topic of a while ago:
packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... e=flat&type=&topic_id=11259&forum=1 As noted, the '38 60 Special was the evolutionary development of the 3-box sedan concept which had been kicking around among various custom coachbuilders for most of the decade.
What seems so unfortunate is that while Packard was among the early pioneers of the configuration, that they didn't pursue it as a progressive design for their sedans by 1935-1938, both as a 120 and for a new series of downsized Super Eights and Twelves for 1936-37.
As in so many instances, it's the car that brings the seemingly new configuration to the mass market that's best remember for doing so. Cadillac was the beneficiary of extremely felicitious events that brought young Bill Mitchell to GM Art & Colour and Harley Earl powerful enough to champion it just in time to take advantage of the competent new 60 Series chassis.......at a market price sweet spot $2,100 where there was no affective competition.
GM did it again a decade later with the 1949 two door hardtop Coupe de Villes, Rivieras and Holidays, regardless of Chrysler pioneering seven Town and Country hardtops a few year prior.
Steve
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