"BACKIE"
Our 1933 Packard 1004 Dietrich Super 8 Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton
Pebble Beach Concours 1999 Representing Packards 100th Anniversary
Packard Custom hand built these 1004 Dietrich Super 8 Sport Phaeton 5 Passenger (dual cowl's) on a wheel base of
142 inches. Exactly to Dietrich's earlier designs. See photo of Ray Dietrich sitting in
the exact body style of the 1932 Twin 6 Dietrich Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton in the article shown below.
Please read Bill Dobson's comments below that were in the Pebble Beach Program this year & also veiw the twin 6 with his
exact custom body style. "Blackie" still has that exact black uphostry too.
"By 1931, in an effort to capture the coachwork buisness, the plan to bring as many operations as possible within the corporate sphere and to
build ALL CUSTOM BODIES IN-HOUSE had reached its final stage. The Custom Body Division reported directly to the Engineering Department
rather than Manufacturing so that EVERYTHING INCLUDING the stamping of sheet metal as well as the framing of wood was done in one
Packard building, NOT AT MURRAY OR DIETRICH. Dietrich's contract as a consultant expired & wasn't renewed". ........ (but)
His designs for all the high end custom bodied Packards continued to be produced through 1934". Ray Dietrich was kept on as "Consulting Art Director"
into 1932 replaced by Count Alexis de Sakhoffsky who was responsible for the big change in the design of all the mid 30's Packards from 1935 on.
I am not stamped Dietrich Custom Built like the identical or nearly identical Dietrich Sport Phaetons of 28 -30 were because some
feel Packard used his earlier design for their 1933 production Sport Phaetons ... and the Dietrich Stamped Custom Bodies of 1933 like
David Kane's WONDERFUL Dietrich 12 were Dietrich's newest custom design (still Packard Custom cars built in-house the same place
as the model 1004's). So ... "Blackie" Is only one of 3 surviving Custom built and Dietrich designed 1933 Super 8 Dual Cowl Sport Phaetons.
Here also is a better description of our 3 cars as explained by Don Williams the President of Black Hawk Auto museum, which owns one of the other
2 still in existence. Glenn Mounger (the past chairman of the Pebble Beach Concours owns the 3rd one)
The Packard Tenth Series was introduced in January 1933 at the National Automobile Show, during the midst of the Great Depression, and continued
to personify simplicity, grace and dignity. At the time Packard had more automobiles registered in the world than any other luxury classic.
Right from the start Packard was aimed at the luxury market and became a status symbol by producing the best car possible.
Packard automobiles came in a variety of styles, from sporty two-seaters to elegant seven-passenger limousines. Of the 788 of the
Tenth Series Super Eight Model 1004 Packards that were built, only three were the distinctive Raymond Dietrich designed Sport Phaetons.
Few individuals have had a more profound influence on American automotive styling than Raymond H. Dietrich. His designs displayed
elegant simplicity and Dietrich's work graced almost every major auto manufacturer, but he created some of his greatest masterpieces
on the Packard chassis.
