Howard Addison Darrin had nowhere left to go. He was going home.
For fifteen years, the Cranford, New Jersey native had ruled the custom auto scene in Paris. He’d started with Thomas Hibbard. Then he teamed up with a banker named Fernandez. But the era of hyper-individualized coachbuilding was dying. The world was changing. In 1937, Darrin traded the “City of Lights” for the “City of Angels.” He landed in Hollywood. The plan was simple. He would modify existing production cars for the rich and famous in the film industry.
One of his first moves was brutal. He took a “junior” Packard Eight/One Twenty coupe. He sliced the roof off. He installed a convertible top. He lowered the hood line. He did this repeatedly. The client list read like a who’s who of Tinseltown.
Packard Motor Car Company in Detroit noticed. A proper bastion of luxury motoring, Packard didn’t ignore the California shenanigans. Instead, they gave it the green light. They put Darrin’s custom models in the 1940 catalog. They even stamped a chrome script with Darrin’s signature on the fenders.
There were strings attached, naturally. Darrin preferred the One Twenty. It was light. Easy to chop. Packard wanted volume. They insisted he build most cars on the Custom Super Eight chassis. This is the One Eighty.
The result was the 1940 Packard Darrin Victoria.
It was a two-door convertible with a Victoria body style. The wheelbase measured 127 inches. It cost $4,593 back then. That was serious money. To get the look, Darrin sectioned the hood and radiator shell. This dropped the profile significantly. The doors were cut down. It looked like a roadster. The windshield frame was thin. But don’t be fooled. It had roll-up side windows. It was a true convertible. It also marked the first Packards without running boards.
Production was scattered. It started at the former Auburn plant in Indiana. Then it moved to Ohio. Specifically, to funeral car builder Sayers & Scoville. They kept making them until 1942.
The restored 1940 Darrin Victoria featured here belongs to David Miller of Orange, California. It’s not just a pretty face. Under the hood sits a 356-cubic-inch L-head straight-eight engine. It pushed out 160 horsepower. That power went through a three-speed transmission with overdrive.
Why the Packard Darrin Victoria Matters
You might ask why this specific 1940 Packard Darrin Victoria still gets attention. It’s not just about the chrome script. It’s about the collision of two worlds. Detroit engineering meeting Hollywood flair.
Most customizers of the time were working off empty shells. Darrin was working on real production cars. He modified them to appeal to the free-spending film crowd. Packard saw the marketing potential. They didn’t sue him. They signed him. That’s rare in automotive history.
The conditions Packard set changed the car’s character. Darrin wanted to use the lighter One Twenty. Packard forced the heavier One Eighta chassis. The result was a heavier, more luxurious machine. But it still had that Darrin soul. The lowered hood. The cut doors. The lack of running boards.
Where did these cars come from? Initially Indiana. Then Ohio. The shift to Sayers & Scoville is interesting. A funeral car builder making luxury convertibles. The contrast is stark. Yet it worked. They produced them until 1942. The war likely killed the production run. Or maybe the market just shifted.
The Specs That Defined the 1940 Packard Darrin Victoria
Let’s look at the numbers. They tell the story of the machine.
- Engine: 356-cubic-inch L-head straight-eight
- Horsepower: 160 hp
- Transmission: Three
