American Icons 1:43 Collection: 1938 Packard 1601 Eight Graber Cabriolet by GLM

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

1938 Packard 1601 Eight Graber Cabriolet by GLM

1938 Packard 1601 Eight Graber Cabriolet

This is a uniquie one-off Packard. First shown at the Geneva Auto Salon in 1938, this is one of just two or three Packards that were bodied by Graber along with three Duesenbergs.Swiss coachbuilder Graber bodied this American Packard 120 chassis. The car was originally sold and titled in Switzerland.

This 1938 Packard, a 127-inch wheelbase “junior” Eight, is among the latter. It was bodied by Graber for the 1938 Geneva Auto Salon, and its body virtually duplicates, albeit to a smaller scale, one built for a Model J Duesenberg, number J-246. The body was ahead of its time, as the lines include sweeping French-inspired pontoon fenders with fully skirted rear wheels and a single tailfin dropping down the rear deck lid. The hood is covered in dozens of small louvers, and beautiful hints of chrome trim appear everywhere.

For many years this car was lost but turned up about twenty years ago in a cinder block garage in Switzerland. Unrestored, it was taken to the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in the Pre-War Preservation Class. The paint was tired but all else was intact. I restoration followed with the car returning to Pebble Beach in 2011 to win Best in Class. This was followed in 2012 where it scored 100 points at the CCCA Annual Meeting.

Wonderful GLM model is highly detailed in top quality. Black painting with chrome trim is stunning. A great model, though not a "diecast" metal one.