One of the strategies quickly employed by Packard to deal with the Great Depression was to consolidate as much as possible of its body construction and trimmings in its own facilities, filling the space that was becoming under-used as production dropped. One custom coachbuilding relationship that was preserved as long as possible, however, was that with Murray Corporation’s affiliate, Dietrich Inc.

Raymond Dietrich’s reputation was beyond compare among stylists of the late 1920s and early 1930s, and his designs were important sources of fresh ideas and concepts for Packard’s own coachwork. That Dietrich had been forced out of his namesake firm by early 1932 was no matter, as his talent had manifested into the many custom and semi-custom bodies that continued to bear the Dietrich name and to grace Packards for decades to come.

In particular, the Individual Custom by Dietrich bodies, which were tailored for the most expensive senior Packard chassis in 1932, 1933, and 1934, still bore the master’s touch in their subtle detail and handsome balance. They were hugely expensive—the most expensive Packards one could buy through a Packard dealer—but they were essentially custom coachbuilt cars, with each crafted in the colors and trim chosen by its original owner. In many ways, they were the last true “custom Dietrichs,” as opposed to later production Packard bodies that simply wore the Dietrich name and borrowed some of his styling cues from the earlier Individual Customs.

The car offered here, chassis number 193614, is one of what historians believe to be only a dozen Dietrich Individual Custom Sport Phaetons built between 1932 and 1933, as the style was not offered on the 1934 Eleventh Series chassis. In addition to its superb proportions and delicate features, the outstanding feature of this particular design was a rear windshield with two beautiful arched wind wings, which can be affixed to the doors and swing in and out when the door is opened, via a hidden track. For storage, the wings can be easily detached from the doors and fold down with the whole windshield assembly. When stowed, the track is concealed underneath a sprung chrome latch, so the top of the door looks sharp and complete. This is just one example of the design talent employed by Dietrich Inc.

Of the twelve Sport Phaetons built, only seven are known to remain, with two being built on the 1933 Deluxe Eight chassis, two on the 1932 Twin Six chassis, and three on the 1933 Twelve chassis. All of the survivors are held in long-term private collections and have only rarely emerged for sale over the past several decades.

As the old line goes, this particular car has quite a tale to tell, if only one knew what it was. In the 1970s, it was purchased by the late, renowned enthusiast and publisher of the Los Angeles Times, Otis Chandler, from its home in a hangar at the Santa Monica airport. Apparently, the car had been put away in the hangar many years earlier after having been turned into a ditch by its owner. The damage was relatively light, limited to the driver’s side cowl, door, and windshield post, and it was certainly not to dissuade Mr. Chandler from restoring what he knew to be a rare treasure.

Before restoration could be completed, Mr. Chandler moved away from his original collection of classics and into muscle cars, and the disassembled Packard was sold to Ralph Englestad, of the Imperial Palace. Mr. Englestad commissioned Scott Veazie to perform the restoration, which took place in earnest in the late 1980s and early 1990s. According to Mr. Veazie, his shop fully restored the car’s rolling chassis and braking system, repaired the bodywork and restored it to original condition, and applied the paint. Bob Mosier, still active as a well-known restorer in California, rebuilt the engine and transmission.

The product of the restoration remains magnificent, with the Individual Custom body finished in Packard Blue and the car featuring dark blue leather upholstery, a tan cloth top, and light grey carpeting. As would be expected from a senior Packard of this era, it is replete with original accessories and options, including chrome wire wheels shod in wide whitewalls, dual side-mounted spares wrapped in polished metal enclosures, a trunk rack, and dual Pilot-Ray driving lights. The car’s chassis, engine, and vehicle numbers have all been verified as authentic by RM Auctions.

When Mr. Englestad’s health necessitated the sale of the Imperial Palace’s vast car collection in 1998, the restored and concours-ready Packard joined the extraordinary collection of General William Lyon's in Southern California. It was maintained to the highest of standards by General Lyon’s curators during an 11-year period in the famous stable, which is a tradition that has been upheld by the current collector, a well-known and passionate enthusiast and Pebble Beach Concours prize winner in his own right.

This outstanding Packard is more than just a spectacular restoration of an authentic car; it marks an opportunity to either add to a superb collection or join the ranks of the connoisseurs who have treasured the other remaining Individual Custom Sport Phaetons for decades. It is a moment that may not yet come again—it is as fleeting as a dark blue Packard sweeping by under the Santa Monica sunset on its way to parts unknown.