The Grand American automobiles of the 1920s and 1930s like those built by Packard were highly prized by certain European motorists, but the cost of importing a whole car often proved prohibitively expensive, so the common practice was to buy a rolling chassis and have it bodied by a coachbuilder closer by in Europe. Such was the case with this car, a 136-inch wheelbase “Standard Eight” bodied by renowned Swiss coachbuilder Hermann Graber and resembling a sort of scaled down version of a Mercedes 500 K with it chrome beltline molding, sweeping fenders and landau bars. Owned for many years and used regularly in CCCA events by singer and actor Sergio Franchi, and was restored shortly after being brought back to America from London by him in the 1970s. The car still wears that restoration gracefully today, and it has been recently detailed and serviced. Finished in light blue with a darker shade of blue above the beltline and on the fenders, it has beautiful styling cues from the elegantly rounded trunk to the dual enclosed sidemounts and suicide doors on large chrome hinges. Completing the look at the front are the dual fog lamps and dual chrome horns, while the whole graceful machine rides on body color wire wheels and wide whitewall tires. The interior is similarly splendid with tailored leather upholstery and armrests into the door panels and nicely finished walnut can be found on the dashboard and doors. A unique and truly extravagant automobile, it would be a natural fit for either a rather straightforward concours restoration or a renewed life on CCCA tours and other driving events.

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