The traditional Standard Eight of Packard’s Ninth Series line for 1932 was offered on wheelbases of 129.5 and 136.5 inches, and priced between $2,485 and $3,450. At a total production of 7,659 cars, it comprised most of Packard’s sales that year, the worst of the Great Depression. There were 13 different factory body styles, including a snug new Coupe Roadster with roll-up side windows, body style number 509, inspired by the previous year’s “catalogue custom” by LeBaron. For those who preferred wind in their hair, it also had a rumble seat. Designed by Werner Gubitz, the style 509 Coupe Roadster was the first Packard convertible to bear that now-famous name.

Believed to have been delivered new on 31 August 1932 by Packard’s factory dealership on Park Avenue in New York City, this handsome Coupe Roadster was previously restored circa 1980 and received an Antique Automobile Club of America National First Prize the following year. It subsequently earned AACA Senior status and was later acquired by the consignor in 2016.

Under current ownership, it was once again treated to restoration, finished in a striking polychrome red color scheme—with the subtlest of variation in hue between lower and upper bodywork—over a freshly reupholstered tan leather interior beneath a matching convertible top. Highly polished burl wood veneers are a welcome complement to the full suite of factory-correct instrumentation and pair of smoked sun visors. A set of chrome wire wheels with correct Packard hubs are shod with wide whitewall tires, while a further two are mounted to the body as spares. Up front, a pair of supplementary fog lights, fender lights, and chrome horns highlight the attractive visage.

This attractive Packard Coupe Roadster also benefits from mechanical refurbishment, which is said to have included a rebuild of its 320-cubic-inch straight eight-cylinder engine. Power is routed to the ground via a “floor-shift” four-speed manual transmission operated via a striking red-and-white gear selector.

The Coupe Roadster body on the 136-inch Standard Eight chassis features some of the nicest proportions of 1930s Packards, which are only enhanced by the vibrant color scheme of this finely restored, first-year example of the type.