Of all the body styles of the Classic Era, none balanced imposing scale, grand proportions, and a hint of rakishness quite as effectively as the dual-cowl phaeton. Yet by the 1930s, phaetons were disappearing from automaker’s catalogues, displaced by convertible offerings with greater all-weather capability. Consequently, this 1935 Sport Phaeton was one of just four authentic dual-cowl sport phaetons produced on Packard’s Twelfth Series Twelve chassis.

Delivered new in Lake Forest, Illinois, the Packard was discovered as part of its original owner’s estate in the early 1950s. Local resident David Dangler acquired the Packard and sold it to Jay Gross, owner of the Princeton Auto Museum in Princeton, Illinois, where the car was exhibited for many years. Well-known collector Walter Cunny eventually purchased the Packard from Gross’ museum, and commissioned its painstaking restoration, completed by Fuller Brothers Restorations of Clinton, Iowa.

As part of this job, the car was converted to dual side-mounted spares, using original fenders from a correct 1935 Twelve sedan, and fitted with front and rear seat heaters. Following the restoration, the car was awarded 99.25 points at the 21st Classic Concours in Indiana in 1977, and a perfect 100 points at the 1979 Indiana Grand Classic. It appeared in the February 1995 issue of Collectible Automobile magazine.

Longtime enthusiast Dr. Gerald Greenfield of Federal Way, Washington, bought the Packard from Mr. Cunny in 1996, and traded it in 1998 to Joe Hayes of Chicago, returning it to its home area. It was subsequently part of a well-known Ohio collection before joining the stable of its present owner, a well-known connoisseur of Classic Packards, in 2014.

In its current care the car was thoroughly detailed and improved, with a new, correct black top, top boot, and side curtains made to the original designs; minor repairs to the upholstery; and a mechanical overhaul that included adjusting the steering box, rebuilding the clutch and brake boosters, installing new coils, and fitting blackwall tires. In early 2022, it benefitted from an engine and radiator flush, rebuilt water pump, and oil change and tune-up.

Today, the car wears its older restoration well, and it has been exhibited at prestigious events including the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (2014), the Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s, and the Elegance at Hershey (both 2016). Offered with a history and maintenance file, this stunning Packard has been considered one of the finest of its kind for many years. That still holds true today—and with its rare and attractive body style and celebrated V-12, this Sport Phaeton would be a most suitable acquisition for exhibition or touring in style.