Coachbuilt Bodies on Unusual Chassis

Here is the link:

http://www.dragoneauctions.com/#!1932-hudson-8-coupe-roadster-by-murphy/

This 1937 Packard Super Eight was owned by the King of Romania

one of the best Packard body I had seen ever 

Dav,  has that car been restored?  There were some nice bodies put on low HP American chassis in the mid to late 30s. 

Another Murphy bodied Hudson.  One that I do not believe survived.  Looks better with the blackwalls.

Here is a Weymann bodied Peerless I pulled from a Peerless thread.

I saw this in person a couple of months ago.  It is spectacular!

Saoutchik bodied Graham.

Franay bodied Buick.

As if the Graham needed a Saoutchik body to be outrageous...

Is OUTRAGEOUS good, or NOT so good?

Dale in Indy

one more extremely nice body. 

smithbrotherMay 19, 2016

Is OUTRAGEOUS good, or NOT so good?

Dale in Indy

Definitely good. Love it!

Matt HarwoodMay 19, 2016

Definitely good. Love it!

+1

This car has a rock solid history.  When it was for sale for 250k a few years back I had some friends that laughed.  I knew the car would sell because it was how many one off cars are available?   People talk about there only being 10 of something left, which is rare in the big scheme of things, but having a 1 of 1 is a much bigger deal in my book.

There are many examples of unique coachwork on non-Classic chassis; on Buicks the Lancefield-bodied '38 (?) Buick Special has been seen at many CCCA events, and so many others, Brewster Buicks to name just one.  I find this Hudson Greater Eight by Murray, owned by an acquaintance of mine a few years back, particularly attractive.  Another, I suppose you'd call it a series custom, are the Hayes bodied coupes found of '39 Chrysler, Desoto and Dodge.  I believe Glaser bodied a couple of Fords in the 30s as well. 

And to answer Alsancle's question, yes the ex-King of Romania Packard has been restored.  I have pictures and will dig them out later.

One of my favorites, but not likely new to anyone here. I figure it qualifies since the work was done by Duesenberg workers.   Although the original has been lost there have been at least a couple pretty faithful efforts to replicate the Buehrig Model A. 

Here's an uncommon coachbuilt on a non-Classic Packard chassis, a 115C by Pennock.

The boattail Hudson has always been a favorite of mine.  There was one in pieces advertised on here a few years ago but when I looked for it the other day I couldn't find it.   Ray Dietrich was working for Murray when that body was built and he may have had a hand in it.

The Lancefield bodied Buick was on the cover of the CCCA magazine not too long ago I think?

Here's another one for you. My 1936 Packard 120 coachwork by Carlton Carriage Company. 

If anyone has any information about this car please let me know. I believe it's 1 of 1. 

Landau bars are on your car upside down. The center hump always goes up. If your top were down the landaus would stick way out the back. Love the semaphores.

Allied to this, I believe There was a Murphy designed phaeton that was used by Auburn in perhaps small but significant numbers. It had wind-up windows in all four doors.   In around 1960 you would still encounter the better performing American cars of the late 1920s in use as daily drivers in our state capital Melbourne.  One day my friend Cliff Rees saw one of these travelling the opposite direction to him on one of our main roads.   Cliff did a rapid U-turn , intending to catch the Aubun and invite the owner to our Vintage Drivers' Club. Cliff's Chrysler could embarrass things like Volkswagons  in city traffic then,  but he couldn't get within a bull's roar of the Auburn. The small eight Auburn was a 1929 8-90; and I believe the body was actually built by Limousine Body Co to Murphy design under licence.  The car changed hands not long after to a chap in the VDC;  But it coughed a connecting rod out the side of the crankcase, and was off the road for quite a while.  The 8-90 engine was similar to the earlier 8-77, but with a whisker larger bore, a better camshaft, and a more efficient Rickardo patent cylinder head design.   Some years later I trailered home the remains of an Auburn 8-90  sedan  which had thrown two connecting rods.  It seemed to be experienced in that, because on the opposite side of the crankcase a very large hole had been repaired by expertly replacing the ventilation hole by bronze welding the piece back in.  I could not tell why the damage had happened,  but I have kept the engine so I can repair it similarly and use it in the 8-77 when I get round to restoring the car.  I would like to give the engine another chance for what it has survived.  I know of another that had the same problem;  so if anyone has an 8-90  it might pay to examine most carefully the connecting rod bearings, bolts, and oil feed.