To entice well-heeled buyers back into the luxury-car market in the early 1930s, Packard and other American automakers tapped top designers to create custom-bodied luxury automobiles, many of which are regarded as the pinnacle of vehicle design in the classic era. The bodies for Packard’s 1936 open cars were built by Murray Corporation of America, but they wore a Dietrich emblem, linking them with the coachbuilding company of one of the most notable American automotive designers of all time: Raymond Dietrich.

The design most associated with Dietrich Inc. is the convertible sedan presented here, characterized by lithe sporty lines and a sweeping rear trunk. The 1936 model year brought Packard’s Fourteenth Series and was the final year the company received the Dietrich body tag. Recognized as a Full Classic by the Classic Car Club of America, the Packard Eight was available in an ambitious 17 body styles on three wheelbases. The largest of these, the Series 1402, shared a 139-inch wheelbase with Super Eight counterparts but featured a smaller engine.

The example offered here was thoroughly refreshed in 2013 by Phoenix Auto Restoration in New Jersey, where it was repainted in period-correct Thistle Green Dark and received a new fabric soft-top. Additional cosmetic improvements, particularly in the engine compartment, were undertaken at the time as well.

This Packard Eight Convertible Sedan is desirably equipment with dual side-mounted spares with covers, rearview mirrors, a radio, and Trippe driving lights anchored to the front bumper. Records of the refresh by Phoenix and partial documentation from an older restoration by the late Robert Turnquist’s Hibernia Auto Restoration in New Jersey accompany the sale.

Whether touring or winning awards at concours gatherings, this Packard is bound to impress its next curator.