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As the custom coachbuilding industry faded out of existence in the early 1940s, American luxury automakers slowly discontinued the factory-cataloged "semi-customs" that had topped their lines for over a decade. Packard was among the last to offer bodies by coachbuilders Rollson and LeBaron. The latter was a division of Briggs by 1941 and still produced beautifully appointed and largely hand-built bodies in limited numbers.
Most of LeBaron's final Packard offerings were formal limousines to be driven by chauffeurs. However, only in 1941, they offered an "owner-driver" variant, the Sport Brougham. This model was essentially Packard's answer to the Cadillac Series 60 Special. Its striking design featured narrow chromed window frames and a formal rear window on the shorter 1907-series chassis, as well as a sumptuously appointed five passenger interior.
The engine was a 356 cubic inch L-head inline eight-cylinder that offered 160 bhp. Other features included a three-speed manual transmission with factory overdrive, independent front suspension with coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. All this power sat on a 138-inch wheelbase.
This 1907-series custom Packard has a great history. One of only 99 Sport Broughams built by LeBaron, this two-tone blue and silver model is one of only a handful known to survive today.
The provenance includes owners George Oxford and Don Hanson, who sold it in 2001 to Tom Mix, proprietor of the famous Foreign Motors Dealership in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Mix made his living from selling new Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce autos, but his passion was for Packards, and he built one of the finest collections over a 50-year span of the hobby. Many of today's award-winning Packards of the 1930s and 1940s can trace their history back to time spent in the Mix stable.
This 1941 Packard was in restoration at the time of Mix’s death, and the project was completed 2006 by Paul Adrich. It has been driven about 2,500 miles recently on two CCCA Caravans and for a total mileage of only 57,618 miles.
With a three-speed manual transmission with factory overdrive, this is a perfect vehicle to continue touring. In 2016, the car was mechanically serviced by Stone Barn Restoration including replacement of all lifter bodies. The power windows have also been recently serviced with a new pump and solenoids.
To this day, this striking classic retains its original engine as well as the original vehicle number tag on the firewall.