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Hiya everyone...

I'm wondering if any of you happen to have stowed away some photos from the 1934 auto show in Pittsburg's Motor Square Garden.

We have a car ('34 Packard 12 1108 Dietrich convertible victoria with factory pontoon fenders and twin rear spares) that was there as one of their show cars, and would love to see pictures of it at the show, but naturally such images are hard to come by. Ed Blend has a sketch of it that he drew at the show as a boy in his book.

Here're some pictures of the car:













Thanks in advance! I'd be happy to pay for prints.

Edit: I think I should have posted this in the General forum. Whoops. Can a mod move it?

Are you writing on behalf of Dale Adams shop? That's where I thought this particular car was, awaiting restoration.

I'm Dale's son. Helping my dad gather history on the car. Part of the fun of restoration is knowing the history of each car.

Certainly you've checked with Ed Blend and Jim Pearsall, they are the two premier prewar Classic historians. You also might consider checking with one of your competitors, STeve Babinsky at Automotive Restorations. Well, OK, you guys really don't compete, but he's in the same business with a premium reputation and lots of Packard knowledge and old data, photos, etc. How about the CCCA library?

Quote:
G'day Jeremy,
to PackardInfo. Usually I also invite new members to add their Packard to the Owners Registry, but as this car is in your Dad's resto shop, permission from the owner would be a "courtesy" and necessity before doing so unless the owner wishes to add it in themselves. If it is included in the Registry could it please include a pic, any known history and how it was acquired by the current owner?

Oh, we have lots of info on the car already. It's the '34 auto show pictures that we are trying to find. We have Blend's book, my father has spoken to him in the past as well.

I don't know if we've asked Steve if he has photos from the show though - that's a good idea. He's a great guy.

Ozstatman, we (well, we being Dale) own the car, so there's no worries there. :) It was in Oklahoma for many years, and my dad purchased it from John Wheatley in 1996. We've had it ever since, and are slowly restoring it. Before John had it, it had been seeing service as a taxi in Puerto Rico, if you can imagine! Painted red with a brush, the passenger door had been removed and discarded, along with the passenger seat - then a yellow beltline was painted on. It wound up in Akron, Ohio in the 60's, where Wheatley bought it.

We no longer restore professionally, everything at our shop is either ours or that of a friend that we are working on. We closed our doors in 1997. Our website now is primarily an information tool. This Packard will be the final Dale Adams restoration, really. We're looking to possibly get into custom coachbuilding in the future.

I found this picture on the Making of Modern Michigan archive.

8x10 black and white Packard Co. file photograph of a 1934 Packard three-quarter left side view, top raised, in a showroom with two women inside car and four outside. Inscribed on photo back: Packard 1108 twelve, eleventh series, 12-cylinder, 160-horsepower, 147-inch wheelbase, 4-person convertible victoria (body type #4072), by Dietrich.

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Wow, great find!

Hi

I haven't any knowledge of the car's history to add or a source of the '34 Auto Show photo, but I must say:

WHAT A STUNNER!!!!!!!!

It's the prefect combination of designs and features into a penultimate elegant unity. I've never seen it before, thanks for posting it. I'm glad to know it's in good hands now, can't wait to see it restored.

I would be interested in reading more about your possible move into custom coachbuilding.

Steve

The car needs to sell before we full-on start its restoration, and when it is done we'll look into the coachbuilding thing. We're slowly working at it now. A bunch of small stuff is finished already (engine ancillaries, gauges, etc.)

It is gorgeous though. My dad thinks it is one of the best examples of an American production car - something important this day and age. We as a society can look back and say "look what we can do".