1939 Packard Series 1701 One-Twenty Convertible Victoria by Darrin

B319346AroadUnited States

Engine: 282 cu in flathead inline-eight, single downdraft carburetor, 120 bhp at 3,600 rpm

A rare 1939 Packard Series 1701 One-Twenty Convertible Victoria bodied by Howard 'Dutch' Darrin, one of only eight such examples constructed at his Hollywood workshop. Among the earliest of Darrin's celebrated Packard conversions, it features a cut-down roofline with a Victoria top and an extended hood meeting a split V-windshield — characteristics that later influenced the production Packard Darrin of 1941. The car passed through the Imperial Palace Collection in Las Vegas and subsequently the collection of noted automotive collector John O'Quinn before its current ownership.

Ownership

2023-03-02Auction sale
Estimate US$200,000 – US$250,000
Bonhams catalogue lot →
→ 1981
J.J. Thompson
partial documentation
Earliest traceable owner prior to 1981; vehicle was brokered away from him by an intermediary.
1981 →Private sale
Imperial Palace Collection
partial documentation
Las Vegas-based collection that acquired the car via broker named 'Tiny' Gould; two subsequent ownership changes followed before a full restoration in 1999.
→ 1999Acquisition unknown
Intermediate owner after Imperial Palace (second)
none documentation
Final owner before the complete restoration carried out in 1999; a cosmetic respray and interior refinish followed around 2006.
2007 → 2010Acquisition unknown
John O'Quinn
partial documentation
Part of O'Quinn's extensive vehicle collection; the car changed hands in 2010 following his tenure.
2010 →Acquisition unknown
Post-O'Quinn owner
partial documentation
Acquired after the O'Quinn collection dispersal; subsequently passed to current consignor.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Intermediate owner after Imperial Palace (first)
none documentation
One of two unnamed owners between the Imperial Palace and the 1999 restoration.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

1999
Restoration
A full restoration was carried out on the vehicle, though supporting documentation from this work no longer accompanies the car.
Records from this restoration are no longer present with the car.
2006
Bodywork
A cosmetic refurbishment was undertaken seven years after the 1999 restoration, comprising a bare-metal repaint in the factory original colour (identified during preparation), a replacement hood, and a refinished interior.
A period-correct Lalique mascot was fitted and the original radio's internals were replaced with solid-state components during this work. Records no longer accompany the car.
2006
Modification
A Lalique mascot of the modern era was installed, and the original Packard radio was converted to solid-state electronics while retaining its external appearance.
Carried out concurrently with the cosmetic restoration; documentation not retained.

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