The Packard Darrin was a special automobile, blending of the glory that was Packard in the Classic Era with the chutzpa that was the stock-in-trade of Howard “Dutch” Darrin.

The result was glamor with lots of pizzazz.

Without Darrin’s insistence, the car would not have been built at all.

Following his days in Paris, Darrin had settled in Hollywood, immediately establishing 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 lineup.

The initial word from Detroit was no .

.

.

but...