1936 Packard Twelve 1408 All Weather Town Car

VIN: 14TH1408203

1936 Packard Twelve 1408 All Weather Town Car finished in Blue paint. The restoration of this vehicle took 6 years to fully complete and was a body-off restoration, the underside looks as good as the top; see pictures. Powered by the 175 hp 473 L-head V12 under the hood that is paired with a 3-speed manual transmission. Dual side-mount spares with matching covers, a very nice look. Riding on the color-matched wheels with center caps and white wall tires. The unique grille on this vehicle is capable of opening and closing the grille to let air in and close when the car cools back down! A thermostat under the hood that will open the louvers up to allow more air flow into the engine, which is functioning on this vehicle. Blue bench seat interior as well as suicide doors up front. This car has only had about 1,000 miles on it since restoration and it shows. Limousine style glass partition between the front and rear seats, rolls up and down smooth as it should. Rear seating area comes with jump seats for additional passengers, Jaeger clock, and intercom system with button by rear window. The carpeting was imported from the UK to match the correct specifications of the original build. Read more below for the full story of this impressive piece:

Engine Specifications: 473 CID L-Head 67o V-12 Engine Single Stromberg EE-3 Downdraft Carburetor 175 BHP at 3,200 RPM 3-Speed Synchromesh Manual Gearbox 4-Wheel Vacuum-Assisted Mechanical Drum Brakes Front Beam Axle Suspension with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs and Shock Absorbers Rear Live Axle Suspension with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs and Shock Absorbers

About this Car: The Packard Twelve presented here is one of approximately twenty-four 1407 and 1408 chassis ordered with elegant formal coachwork by LeBaron for the 1936 model year. the exclusive 1408 chassis received the All-Weather Town Car (Style L-295), which was distinguished by its elegant proportions, rear hinged doors and quarter windows. As indicated by the Packard Vehicle Number, 295-203, this car is the third example produced in the limited series. On January 28, 1936, the elegant Town Car was sold by the Packard Motorcar Company of Boston, Massachusetts. During the depths of the Great Depression, this custom-bodied, long- wheelbase Packard commanded a staggering $6,850 price tag, some $2,000 more than the average factory-bodied 1407 Twelve. After remaining on the East Coast for many years, the Packard was acquired by a collector in San Diego, California, who planned on restoring the aging car as a Dual-Cowl Phaeton. Fortunately, in 1992, Tom Moretti rescued the grand Twelve from a dubious fate and, today, this lovely Town Car is one of only three examples known to survive. Having returned to Illinois with his latest project, Mr. Moretti began a five-year, body-off restoration with the goal of presenting the rare Packard at Pebble Beach. While restoring a complex, formal classic is never an easy accomplishment, the Packard remained a very complete and genuine example and thus did not require extensive bodywork. Significantly, during disassembly, stamped serial numbers were found throughout the coachwork. Taking inspiration from original 1936 Packard catalogues, Mr. Moretti refinished the LeBaron coachwork in the factory-correct dark blue, complemented by matching wheel covers and whitewall tires. Inside, the passenger compartment was expertly reupholstered in blue-gray broadcloth sourced from the UK and, in front, the driver's compartment was correctly upholstered in dark-blue leather. As would be expected of an expensive coachbuilt town car, this Packard is brimming with exceptional details, such as a beautiful Jaeger clock rear of the division. As planned, the LeBaron Town Car made its debut showing at the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it was featured in a competitive class of closed, custom-bodied American classics. In a February 2010 interview with Hemmings Classic Car magazine, Mr. Moretti recalled the anxious feelings associated with his first outing at Pebble Beach.

"You go to Pebble and you don't know from one second to the next where you stand. That first year, I was in the custom-bodied class and I was up against a Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow. You're not in a class with a bunch of wannabes those are real cars at Pebble, so I was real worried and very stressed all day."

Despite all the worries, Mr. Moretti's years of hard work paid off and the beautifully presented Town Car received First in Class. Following its remarkable success at Pebble Beach, the LeBaron Town Car made the rounds of the concours circuit and continued its winning ways. In 1998, Mr. Moretti's Packard earned First Place in Primary at the CCCA Annual Meeting, a First Place in Senior division at an Indiana Grand Classic and a First Place in Premier division at a Michigan Grand Classic. In addition, the Town Car also won the Warshawsky Best of Show award at the Annual Meeting in San Antonio. Later that year, the Packard received Best of Show at the Burn Foundation Concours, Best Restored at the New Hampshire Concours and an AACA National First Prize. In 1999, the Town Car received the prestigious AACA President's Cup Award which honors an outstanding restoration of a 1921-1942 automobile. Beyond these honors, this classic earned a First in Class at the 2006 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance and Outstanding Formal Car at the 2010 Geneva Concours d'Elegance. The astounding list of awards and honors this magnificent car has received over the past 15 years speaks to its irreproachable status, even in the exclusive world of 12-cylinder Packards. Its striking proportions, elegant features and tasteful appearance make it a particularly stylish formal classic and its impeccable credentials are sure to impress the most discriminating collector.