Packard 1408 Twelve 295 All Weather Town Car LeBaron
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Automobilhersteller : |
Packard |
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Modell: |
1408 Twelve 295 All Weather Town Car LeBaron |
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Jahr: |
1934-1939 |
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Art: |
Landaulet |
Fearing that the Twin Six name might confuse customers as to the car’s actual cylinder count, Packard decided to rename it “Twelve” with the Tenth Series, which was introduced in January 1933. There were various revisions to the new models, including a new frame, a new Gemmer worm-and-roller steering box, and a one-piece driveshaft. Closed-body Twelves now had a new, taller radiator, although the open cars, most of which were built using leftover Ninth-Series bodies, had the smaller radiator; the taller radiator became standard on the Eleventh Series. In a bid to improve sales of the 12-cylinder cars, the Individual Custom bodies — which now included six Dietrich models and two by LeBaron — were now available only on the Twelve, meaning that buyers who wanted a semi-custom car had to spring for the bigger engine.
Thomas L. Hibbard and Raymond H. Dietrich set up this firm in 1920 under the name of LeBaron, Carrossiers, to design and engineer automobile bodies much as architects built houses. They had met in the drawing office at Brewster & Company and each had considerable experience in the custom body field. Soon they were joined by Ralph S. Roberts, who had known Hibbard earlier, and although not himself a designer had a keen sense of style and good administrative ability.
The new group was successful in selling some designs, and the engineering drawings for many of them, but preferred to work-like architects in supervising the construction of the bodies they designed, for a percentage fee. Such bodies were built by a number of coachbuilders in the New York area and nearby, including Demarest, Derham, Locke and others.
İn the Spring of 1924, a merger was arranged with the Bridgeport Body Company m Connecticut. The new company shortened the name to LeBaron, Inc., and now had facilities for building the creations they designed. This took place a few months after the author had joined them as sort of apprentice designer and general assistant.
Hibbard had left early in 1923 to explore the possibility of having bodies built in Europe where costs were lower, but instead wound up in partnership with Howard Darrin. In 1925, Dietrich also left to set up the company under its own name in Detroit. Other overtures came from Detroit, and the end of 1926 LeBaron had been purchased by the Briggs Manufacturing Company there.
LeBaron was continued as a separate coachbuilding subsidiary, with added duties as source of designs for Briggs' large customers-Ford, Graham-Paige, Chrysler and others. Roberts moved to Detroit and set up a new design centre called the LeBaron Studios, with a freshly recruited young staff, who also turned out designs for the new LeBaron-Detroit Company factory devoted largely to building custom bodies in small series.
The original operation in the East continued until the end of 1930, when reduced business prompted consolidation of all activity in Detroit. Coachbuilt Packards and other makes continued to be built there until the beginning of the war. Following the death of Walter 0. Briggs, founder of the company bearing his name, the entire body-building operation was sold to the Chrysler Corporation in 1952, they having by then become Briggs' principal client. With this went the rights to the LeBaron name, although no true coachbuilt bodies had been built under that name since just before the war.
LeBaron had designed some Packards even in their early days before they had a factory. In the mid-twenties they began turning out small series of town cars and limousines as well as many individually designed Packards. By 1930 these were joined by some convertibles, including a two-seater with top folding into the body and covered by a small boot, which had been designed by the author.
During 1931, Packard introduced custom bodies under their own name, similar to those earlier bought in small series from LeBaron. When the firm discovered that Packard were also about to introduce a coupe roadster as a standard model, very similar to the bodies they had been building, relations cooled a bit. However, by 1933 they were working again on new Packard designs, and also building some of the ideas of Edward Macaulay.
For 1934, some attractive sport models as well as more conservative town cars from LeBaron were included in Packard catalogues. Town cars and limousines by LeBaron remained a major portion of the coachbuilt Packards available until passenger car production ceased for the duration of the war.
Rollston
Founded in 1920 by Harry Loenschein and some associates, this coachbuilding firm on the west side of New York City was closely identified with Packard throughout its career, although they also built bodies other chassis. Their early styling tended to be conservative, but the quality of the workmanship and finish of their bodies gained the approval of Grover Parvis at Packard's New York branch.
He ordered some small series of town cars from them, and also called on Rollston for special individual bodies for his most particular customers. Roadsters and phaetons came from the plant as well, and in the early `thirties they built some attractive convertibles, but a good proportion of their bodies mete formal town cats.
When Holbrook closed their doors in 1930, Ro1İston acquired some of their equipment and took on a good portion of their staff.
By 1937, some formal Panel Broughams on the smaller Model 120 chassis were ordered by Packard in an effort to stem the decline in demand for such vehicles by offering them at a lower price. A few were sold, but the day of the coachbuilt town cat seemed over, and Mr. Loenschein decided to liquidate the company.
Rudy Cteteur, who had done the designing and engineering and by now managed the shop, was more sanguine and purchased the bulk of the company's assets at auction. He set up a new firm of similar name, The Ro1İson Company, and over the next few years turned out some more elegant Packard town cars. The war put a stop to this, but Rollson stayed in business making galley equipment for submarines. A new plant in P1ainvìew, Long Island, was built to handle the expanding volume and remains in business making similar items and yacht and steamship windows, but, alas, no coachbuilt bodies.
