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

Initial thoughts on style inspired by Fernandez & Darrin's Hispano-Suiza Rothschild coupe at this link:

http://www.dieselpunks.org/photo/1934-hispano-suiza-j12-v12

Attach file:

---

  (31.14 KB)

Is that what is meant by "looking through rose coloured glasses"?

Paul, have you ever had the pleasure of seeing this 37 Twelve by Rollston up close? It really is more impressive than the photo conveys, and to me it's one of the most dramatic of the late 30s senior Packards though you could make an argument for eliminating the sidemounted spares. Photo from the "Skyline", publication of the Metro Region of the CCCA.

Attach file:

---

  (80.73 KB)

Egad, its finally happened... my little daughter's favorite color has become mine!

Dave - have never had the chance to see it, hope to some day, great proportions! I also like the '37 1508 Rollston sport sedan, another that I hope to see. What a great period in automotive history... if one had the money, could order anything, and style was really reaching new aestetic heights. People today keep talking about getting back to one-off cars but it is so hard to do, maybe that's why most modern customs are based on yesteryear chassis.

Hi Paul & Dave

They had the cars and the ability to build many more such knockouts at the time, if only they could have realized how much good it would have done to enforce the Senior lines prestige. Rollston was definitely on the right track with both those full-custom bodied convertible victoria and sport sedan '37 Twelves. Of those, I recall seeing and being amazed by the convertible victoria at the Packard Experience in '94 and the sport sedan at the Centennial. After all these years, each still is a great pleasure to recall those experiences of an in-person inspection.

Steve

P.S. How about this Picasso blue period version?

Attach file:

---

  (23.95 KB)

That color works nicely, Steve. Here's a mod of a period photo. The 5-pass coupe's decklid and rear sheetmetal appear to work fine. Doors would be the extra long pair from the convertibles. Phaeton's windscreen would have looked really sweet. Impractical but sweet. All told there really wouldn't have been much here that was new, just the roof and sheetmetal to connect the doors to the rear quarters.

Attach file:

---

  (49.71 KB)

Paul - though a bit different than the above concepts, here's another, a 1936 Twelve, that though a bit Germanic in tone might provoke your interest. Coachwork by Norrmalms of Sweden and the photo courtesy of the very fine recently published book on Swedish coachbuilders, "Swedish Coachbuilders" by Jan Stroman. Swedish coachbuilders, and there were many of them, did some really interesting work on American chassis, given your interests you might consider looking for the book (it's available both in Swedish & English). Note that the car originally had dual rear-mounted spares. It has a split front windshield, there is also a 3/4 frontal view in the book as well as a recent (post-restoration) view from above with the top lowered.

Attach file:

---

  (104.17 KB)


  (81.10 KB)

Hi

Paul's extravagant '37 1506 Twelve 'Rothschilds' coupe de ville set me to checking the specifications for that model. Consider it was on a 132 1/4" wb, 5335 lb touring sedan with the 180 hp 473 ci compared to the '34 1106 on 134 7/8" wb, 5400 lb LeBaron Runabout Speedster with the 160 hp 445 ci twelve. Other than the aerodynamic advantage of the speedster form over the sedan, wasn't the 1506 a 'sleeper' performance car wolf in ordinary sedan sheep's clothing. Of course, no Packard Twelve was ordinary in it's time, just the same, specification suggest it was capable of besting any challenger on the highway. Now, just think if Packard had continued to offer sport versions of their open cars as they had from 1922- 26 with lowered and narrowed bodies fitted to this lightest, most powerful chassis.

Of the factory photo mod, I'd bet if they used the phaeton long front doors and cowl with chrome windshield mated to the victoria coupe lower quarters/rear roof/deck such a body would have been a cinch. They would have had to fit the doors with wind-up windows to close it with the folding canopy. But what a great, high-style and performance models to field. While not many would have been sold, those few that were would have been seen in the company of the glitterati of the day, so good for their prestige reputation. Wonder if any 1506 chassis were custom-bodied?

Steve

Thanks for the heads up on the Swedish customs, Steve. Have seen images of that car before, appreciate its custom features, not so wild about its not so well-integrated trunk that had become a bit pass? by then.

Good point on the opportunties Packard continued to have on its shortest chassis. Seems the company woke up one day in 1935 and plum gave up on those sporty customs. Maybe the biggest impact this had was that the wellspring of fresh new design ideas dried up, leaving Packard flat-footed when it came time to do the Clipper. They got caught with their pants down in 1939, no question. Luckily Darrin had been there all through the company's 1935-40 advanced design "dead zone", lurking just outside their gate, staying current on matters of design and trying to keep them current. No surprise that within the Packard realm it was he alone who was able to hit the ground running when the Clipper brief was given.

Hi

".......the company's 1935-40 advanced design "dead zone" Good descriptions, Paul! Something happened when the Junior series came to the fore that apparently caused Ed Macauley and his small staff to lay aside any progressive design explorations. This isn't to suggest that the styling of either generation of Juniors was anything less that market-consistent and fully competitive. But they didn't break any new ground either, this at a time when the market was receptive to such efforts.

When one contrast Ed Macauley's slick '32 Twelve speedster with it's successors; an oddly painted, side-mounted 1938 Eight-based coupe carrying a '39-type grille or '39 Super Eight convertible coupe customized solely with a three-position drophead top, the latter two pale by comparison. Only when his '41 Darrin coupe de ville, which became the basis for the unfortunately-restyled "Brown Bomber", appeared did it seem as if Ed revived some of his old vigor for progressive design work.

Fortunately Darrin in Hollywood was demonstrating what was possible, gave them someone to turn to immediately when it became obvious the GM C-body Torpedo sedans were a major challenge. Darrin liked to attach his name to whatever styling proved successful, no matter to what extent he actually contributed, yet his taking credit is justified since his initial styling concept set the theme for the Clipper. How unfortunate it came to market so late, no valid reason exist for that to have been the case except for an underdeveloped styling department adrift without strong direction. Had they realized their lack of progressive vision sooner, Darrin might have been engaged by early 1938. If motivation was needed, simply reading the market response to the Cadillac 60 Special alone should have lit a fire under them to get new body architecture ready for 1940.

Darrin wasn't their only source that should have been tapped, Brunn, LeBaron and Rollston - Rollson, all were available to provide design work applicable to production cars, perhaps best to lend a flair and verve not found among their competitors. It's a terrible shame that management didn't recognize this wellspring of fresh, elegantly custom design work just there for the asking. Proof of their ability, the Rollson '40 Sport and Sunair sedans demonstrated to Packard that closed models could have the verve of convertible styles. Given their relationship for '38-'39 with Rollston supplying the custom bodies, one would think they would have requested further design work for future models as a matter of course. Brunn too was still very much in the game, as their Touring Cabriolet and variants showed. After Brunn closed in late '41, young Herman C. Brunn joined Ford Motor Company in 1944, applied his considerable talents to various Lincoln interiors and trim through retirement in 1970. There was no lack of great design talent available to Packard in those immediate pre-war years had they only taken every advantage of it. Not to forget, Ray Dietrich was still languishing at Chrysler, being stymied at every turn by Engineering. One would bet he would have jumped at a chance to escape that frustration.

Steve