1932 Packard Twin Six Individual Custom Convertible Sedan by Dietrich

1932 Packard Twin Six Individual Custom Convertible Sedan by Dietrich
Sold for $840,000 Including Commission
RM Auction, Amelia Island, Florida 2014
Chassis no. 900104
Engine no. 900116
Body no. 5455
Vehicle no. 906-5
Series 906. 160 bhp, 445 cu. in. side-valve V-12 engine with Stromberg downdraft carburetion, three-speed synchromesh manual transmission, solid front axle and hypoid live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf-spring suspension, and four-wheel adjustable vacuum-assisted brakes. Wheelbase: 147.5 in.

•Offered from the collection of Bob and Sandra Bahre
•Original Dietrich Individual Custom bodywork
•A well-preserved Steve Gunder restoration
•Available for sale for the first time in 33 years


A competitor is said to have famously described Raymond Dietrich as "a man that the gods smiled upon." Indeed, before striking out on his own in 1925, the redheaded young designer built an enviable résumé that included some of America's most prestigious custom coachbuilders. He was an apprentice draftsman at Brewster, where he met Thomas Hibbard, with whom he would co-found LeBaron in New York City. Hibbard eventually went to Paris and decided to stay, while Dietrich was lured to Detroit by the Murray Body Corporation, through Edsel Ford's influence. There, he took 50 percent ownership of a new firm, Dietrich Inc., which initially worked largely on Lincoln chassis, no doubt to the enthusiasm of the intellectual Mr. Ford.

However, Dietrich's lasting glory would come as the result of the custom bodies that he produced for several Packard agencies. One of these agencies took three custom show cars that he bodied on a nationwide tour in 1926. At tour's end, Dietrich received a shocking 150 orders. This was a number that did not escape Packard President Alvan Macauley's notice. Macauley ordered another 175 bodies, beginning a long association of Detroit and Packard, which resulted in hundreds of custom and semi-custom bodies for the cars of East Grand Boulevard.

The most prestigious of these were the so-called Individual Customs, which were produced on Super Eight and Twelve chassis from 1932 through to 1934. Built largely to individual tastes, as true "factory customs" are, these striking bodies were known for their lithe and sporty lines, which were created by the vee'd windshields, a beltline that curved away from the windshield, and an extraordinary long hoodline, and they were assembled on massive 147.5-inch wheelbase chassis. They were tremendously expensive, particularly in 12-cylinder form, and with a modified L-head V-12 that could displace 445.5 cubic centimeters and develop 160 brake horsepower under the hood, the Dietrich Packard had power to match its style. It was a masterpiece of form and function.

FROM THE COLLECTION OF A CONNOISSEUR

Robert Bahre and his family have stood at the peak of American motorsport for five decades. Following ownership of various New England tracks and racing teams since the mid-1960s, Mr. Bahre opened New Hampshire International Speedway in June 1990. The speedway was remarkably designed, yet it was constructed without consulting engineers. It became known as a tremendously successful and challenging track, and it has grown over the years to become the largest sporting venue in New England, as well as a highlight of the NASCAR circuit.

Off the track, one of Mr. Bahre's lasting passions has been for the world's finest antique automobiles, in particular, Dietrich Individual Customs on Packard's most desirable Classic Era chassis. Over the years, he has been able to build a complete collection of superb examples, with each being restored by the finest artisans and all being held among Packard cognoscenti as the finest of their kind.

During the early years of his collection, in 1981, Mr. Bahre acquired an original Dietrich Individual Custom Convertible Sedan from Harrah's Automobile Collection. The car, which was mounted to a 904 Super Eight chassis, had resided in Harrah's fabled halls since 1962. Earlier ownership was recorded as Edgar C. Lawrence and James F. Baccardo, both of San Jose, California.

Mr. Bahre's passion, however, was for Dietrich Individual Custom Packard Twelves. As luck would have it, an opportunity presented itself in the form of his friend, Bob Adams, who owned a donor chassis, engine, and drivetrain, which had only 18,965 miles, from an appropriate Ninth Series Twin Six that had also been acquired from Harrah's.

Soon, Mr. Bahre had purchased the Twin Six and set his plans to work. Both cars were delivered to respected Packard restorer Steve Gunder, of Topeka, Kansas. Mr. Gunder removed the Super Eight's Dietrich bodywork and installed it on the newly acquired Twin Six chassis. The body was in excellent condition, and as such, all of the original body panels were able to be saved, in addition to all of the correct Dietrich hardware.
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Robert Myrick Photography