1937 PACKARD 120 PHAETON

Details

Packard was the favorite of custom coachbuilders. The quality of its engines and drivetrains perfectly complemented the tastes of the clients of the great American coachbuilders like Dietrich and LeBaron whose individual custom and catalog custom designs on Packard chassis are the staple of today's great concours d'elegance. Packard's models evolved along with the 30's and in 1935 the 120 was introduced, a medium-priced model with 120' wheelbase, powerful Packard Eight engine and a catalog of

standard bodies. The 120 was an immediate commercial success. Just three years later, in 1937, Packard sold nearly 10 120's for every Super 8. None of them had Phaeton coachwork from the factory, but there wasn't a Phaeton among the many cataloged Super 8 or 12 bodies, either. That was left to the few remaining independent coachbuilders like Knightstown, a firm well known for its professional coachwork. Exactly who ordered this unique Knightstown Phaeton with its fixed rigid roof and piliarless design that foreshadowed the 4-door hardtops of the mid-50's is not known but they and Knightstown anticipated a trend that would sweep the automobile industry in the decade after World War II. This rare and intriguingly ingenious hardtop bodied Phaeton Packard 120 has had a full cosmetic restoration in black with beautiful caramel leather interior, black top, wide white wall tires and brilliant chrome. It is an unusually long wheelbase chassis for the 120 drivetrain and is equipped with Tripp driving lights, Packard hubcaps, wheel trim rings, a folding rear seat windshield and trunk. Rear wheel skirts are a bridge between the classic and postwar eras. 'Unique' is an overworked term, but it applies perfectly to this 1937 Packard 120 Knightstown hardtop Dual Windshield Phaeton, one of the most imaginative, innovative, elegant and intriguing automobiles of the 1930's.