Dear fellow Flynn fans,
take heart and treat yourself to a Packard! One of those originals Errol used to drive is to be auctioned off: www.invaluable.com…
The Packard Darrin was a remarkable blending of all the glory that was Packard in the Classic Era with all the impudence that was the stock in trade of Howard Dutch Darrin. The result was glamour with lots of pizzazza perfect fit in the luxury makers lineup for an exclusive, halo automobile.
Without Darrins insistence, the car likely would never have been built. Following his days in Paris, the inimitable Darrin settled in Hollywood, where he immediately established himself as the purveyor of custom coachwork to the stars. The polo-playing Darrin was quickly accepted by the Hollywood crowd; his well-cultivated French accent fit in perfectly. He named his shop Darrin of Paris, and his first client was Dick Powell, for whom he fashioned a two-passenger Ford roadster in 1937. Shortly thereafter, he built a two-seat convertible victoria roadster on a 1937 Packard One Twenty chassis for actor Chester Morris. It led to the idea of building a five-passenger version and selling Packard on the idea of including it as part of its lineup. The initial word from Detroit was no, but that didnt stop him.
Darrin began with a standard Packard Eight Business Coupe, little of which remained when the transformation was completed. Most memorable were the sweeping cut-down curves of the doors, the cars signature styling feature commonly referred to as the Darrin Dip. The rakish body looked downright racy when compared to competitor Lincolns Zephyr Continental, yet the car remained unquestionably and distinctly, a Packard.
Darrin arranged to have the car parked outside the Packard Proving Grounds at the time of the annual dealers meeting, precisely where the dealers could not help but see it. That, as they say, was that! Under pressure from its dealers, Packard included the Darrin as part of its catalogue for 1940 with three models: Sport Sedan, Convertible Sedan, and Convertible Victoria. It is estimated that 100 were built through 1942 when production was halted prior to World War II. Darrins were real celebrity carsTyrone Power, Errol Flynn, Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, Preston Foster, and Gene Krupa all had one
I wonder if it comes complete with folding down front seats.
Enjoy,
— shangheinz
