The Packard Darrin was a special automobile in the maker’s lineup.

It was a blending of all the glory that was Packard in the Classic Era and the stunning design work of Howard “Dutch” Darrin.

The result was one of the more glamorous cars of the 1940s.

Without Darrin’s insistence, the car wouldn’t have been built at all.

Following his days in Paris, the inimitable Darrin had 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 movie crowd; his well-cultivated French accent fit in perfectly.

He named his shop “Darrin of Paris.” 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 li...