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Not a Packard. It's a rare Custer electric.
"Custer Electric - Dayton, Ohio - (1920-42) - L. Luzern Custer purportedly built an experimental electric car in 1898, but it was not until 1920 that he began his Custer Specialty Company in Dayton for the production of electric vehicles. The Custer was built as a Cootie (children's car), Cabbie (miniature railroad). Chair (automotive wheelchair), Carrier (factory truck) and Coupe (two-passenger city car). Of all varieties, the most significant in production was the automotive wheelchair, which was doubtless to Luzern Custer's personal satisfaction because he happened to be an invalid himself. The Cootie was perhaps the second most produced of the Custer vehicles. As for the Coupe, it weighed 550 pounds, was not much longer than it was high (78 inches versus 62), was rather cute, and might have been a marvelous proposition for crowded metropolitan areas except for one thing; its cruising speed was eight miles per hour. The Custer Specialty Company was in business a long time in Dayton (into the 1960s), but no more than a handful (and possibly only one) of the Coupes was ever built."

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Methinks you doth protest too much, West. I know almost nothing about this era of Packard and the extra information provided by Packard53 and Portlandon helped me to learn a little more. How about letting others enlighten us without the discouraging words?

I thought we were just having fun. Sorry if I sounded like I was getting down on anyone. Coupe-roadster is Packard's term for convertible coupe.

Regarding the fabulous cars from the Maybelline collection:
I've just e-mailed the current owner of the 1940 Packard (the one with the horse head hood ornament). Some of this is brand-new news to him. He immediately contacted the author of the new Maybelline book, who is the grand-neice of the original owner.

I've also e-mailed the curator of the Bob Bahre collection, thinking the black V-windsield sedan was the Car of the Dome. I had always thought there were only three sedans built, only one with a rear-mounted spare tire, so I assumed the Maybelline car was the Car of the Dome.

Not so. The Car of the Dome only had five hood doors, and a hood opening handle that was mounted about in the middle of the side of the hood, whereas the black car pictured in this thread has six hood doors and a hood handle mounted very low. Also, the Car of the Dome had a painted radiator shell, while this thread's car has a plated grillshell. It is also known who the original owner of the Car of the Dome was, and he lived in Pennsylvania and the car was bought in March of 1934, before the 1934 Fair even opened.

So... it looks like a fourth car was built, which was probably a replacement for the Car of the Dome. It was then shown at the 1934 Exhibition, then bought by Williams. The car is no longer known to exist. More than likely, it was traded for the 1940 car, which is currently in California.

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Click to enlarge.





"Tom Lyle Williams founder of the Maybelline Company with his 1938 convertible Packard, gold chromed, in front of his Villa Valentino, once owned by the Great Lover Rudolph Valentino."


[source: www.maybellinebook.com]

Looks like it has a '41 type front clip on it. There was some discussion in this thread, posts #216, 222, 223, 224, 225, 229 & 230, concerning Darrin's and front clips.

Mal
That car is all 1940 front clip (with a raked grillshell), without the free-standing headlights. The headlights installed look to be from a Lincoln Zephyr/Continental, and the parking lights are from a 1940 Cadillac.

West. With other parts in the mix, the subtleties to enable proper identification were lost on me.

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Yes, a 1940 Lincoln Zephyr. On top of the chrome headlight rings it repeats the design of its front chrome trim.

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West - Tuesday, December 20, 2011:

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www.maybellinebook.com - Monday, December 26, 2011:

"...We will also be bringing you pictures and video's, of Tom Lyle's, 1940 Packard convertible, which has been located after 60 years, in Orange County California. Needless to say, we are over-the-top, excited to see the car and know you will be too!!!"



[picture source: www.maybellinebook.com]

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