Among the scarce survivors of the Tenth Series Packard Twelve of 1933 are but five Convertible Victorias on the 1005 chassis, with a 142-inch-wheelbase frame. These cars share the other Tenth Series features of a new tapered X-braced frame, single dry-plate clutch, dual coil ignition, and automatic choke, as well as a redesigned interior with aircraft-inspired dashboard and upgraded trim, and classically swept fenderlines surrounding a graceful V-shaped radiator. Crowned with Raymond Dietrich’s handsome five-passenger convertible design, it made for one of the most beautiful Packards of its generation.

VEHICLE NUMBER 647-19: LIVIN’ IN THE SUNLIGHT

The Convertible Victoria offered here retains all of its original major components, which are numbered very near one another, confirming that they were born in the same automobile. According to the original vehicle number tag on the firewall, it was originally sold by the prominent Earle C. Anthony dealership in Los Angeles on 5 August 1933. The buyer has long been reported as Maurice Chevalier. A French actor and singer who made his name at a young age in Parisian musical theater, Chevalier had moved in 1928 to Hollywood, where he became an Academy Award-nominated star of musical films, known for his ever-present tuxedo and boater hat. He made familiar numerous songs that are now standards, including “You Brought A New Kind of Love to Me” and “Livin’ in the Sunlight,” and was something of a popular heartthrob in his time. To this day, the Packard retains a small brass plate on the floorboard bearing the legendary star’s name and address in Paris.

According to former owner Jeff Schreiner, the car was later acquired by early Packard connoisseur Harold Crosby of California, who in 1970 sold it to collector Gene Grengs for his Cavalcade of Cars museum in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It was preserved in largely unrestored condition, with its fine original interior at one point being used as a reference for another of the surviving Convertible Victorias during restoration. In 1979, the car was dismantled for restoration but this never progressed. Finally, the Convertible Victoria was acquired from Mr. Grengs in June 2021 by Mr. Schreiner, whose shop undertook a complete, ground-up restoration, preserving such fine details as the original vehicle number and Dietrich body tags, and the body number stampings in the wood.

Freshly restored, the Packard returned to the limelight, winning Best of Show at the 2022 Des Moines Concours d’Elegance. More recently it underwent further authenticity improvements to bring it to the highest national competition standards, performed by Stone Barn of Vienna, New Jersey, and overseen by longtime Packard collector and enthusiast David Kane. It was then shown by its current owner with pride at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it was an award-winner in its class. Very well-maintained within the owner’s private collection, the car remains in beautiful, show-ready condition, both inside and out.

An award-winning Packard of exceptional quality, this car is really the embodiment of the company’s Senior models as the world of 1933 knew them—an automobile of rich history and pedigree, the favorite of socialites and film celebrities who, the world over, enjoyed the silky smoothness of 12 cylinders in Raymond Dietrich’s dazzling designs. It is an outstanding example and a star among Packards.