Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Oh, to be a fly on the wall in one of those product planning meetings! My understanding of the Speedster series...I believe from the Kimes tome we all know and love...is that the V-16 took Packard totally by surprise, and that their immediate response was the Speedster series..which I agree came from the fertile mind of Jesse Vincent and his love for speed. These were truly excellent cars, perhaps the first factory hot rods....and although targeting a different segment of the market...in general and surely for Packard itself....they more generally targeted wealthy consumers who were rightly wowed by V-16 power and the plethora of fine body styles available. Aside from the uniqueness of the Speedster series for Packard itself..a company known not so much for brute speed but gentle refinement, was the complete absence of any marketing for them..which of course is reflected in the low sales of around 100. I find this inexplicable.

The issue with the Darrins was the choice to instead of making these standard Senior fare, Macauley instead agreed to simply catalog them. Around the same time, he contracted with Darrin to design the new Clipper....a brilliant design that should have been introduced as the senior, too...so, clearly management saw the value and worth of Dutch's obvious talent.

I've always enjoyed Darrin's creations..perhaps b/c of his larger than life personality, but mostly, b/c his designs were, to my eye, simply gorgeous in a flowing, contemporary way..utilizing both balance and proportion and fine detail. I recently got a 1/43 Matrix version of the Darrin Sport Sedan...a neat and far less expensive way of obtaining one of the actual 2 or 3 still extant..and began to think more on what was and how it came to pass, and more importantly, what could have been.

Packard needed something, and sometimes it seems like it was just right there.

I have stared at a lot of Darrins over the last 45 years or so and pondered also his work at Kaiser Frazer. Pretty much without exception his cars are striking and arrest the attention. Almost without exception there is some aspect that is ungainly--often times his roof treatment. The Clippers are that exception and I am pretty sure the basic design was heavily massaged by others. So you could mark me as appreciative, but not a fan.

Now to the question of using Darrin styling on the whole 41 line. Have you tried to get into one? I am only 5'-9" and it is inconvenient. They would have needed to do a major rework of the frames with a far more pronounced double drop in order to have acceptable seat heights and usable door openings. Don't let the large doors fool you: they are hiding the fact the the floor level is at your kneecap.

The LeBaron Sport Sedan is a far better trick. The extra slant to the windshield,the thin window frames, and the coupe type roof and deck make a trim package attractive from every angle. Oh, and people fit in it.

I'll second Ross's opinion, the '41 LeBaron Sport Brougham presents the route Packard should have taken to give their cars more styling verve while still keeping them comfortable for passengers.

The '38-'40 Darrins were designed purely for extroverted style, to garner maximum attention. The frame wasn't modified in the process so results in less-than-ideal ergonomics.

When Sayers & Scoville built the 1941-'42 Darrins, they lengthened the hood by moving the cowl rearward but didn't section height out of it. The windshield, door still and top well areas were modified in the Darrin style but not as radically as the Hollywood or Connorsville cars.

Steve

I've driven and had a fair number of drives in pre-1941 Darrins, victorias and sedans. I'm betting others who have also driven them will agree with me that the seating/driving position can be very awkward and structural integrity played second fiddle to styling, the cowl is almost a moving part! Great to look at, not so great for driving. Far improved vehicles once Packard took over production of them.