360° Interior

1934 Packard 1101 Eight Coupe Roadster

360° Exterior

1934 Packard 1101 Super Eight Coupe Roadster - The JBS Collection

An Early, Sterling Example From Packard’s Renowned Eleventh Series

For most Packard aficionados, the 1934 model Packards—dubbed the 1101, or Eleventh Series—represent the height of the company’s pre-war efforts; and the 1101 Eight Coupe Roadster is generally among the most desirable of Packard automobiles from that production year.

The JBS Collection’s majestic 1934 Packard 1101 Eight Coupe Roadster—completed at the Detroit Packard factory in August of 1934 as it appears today, an 1101 Eight chassis with the type 719 Coupe Roadster body—was a relatively early production; recorded on its vehicle number tag as having been the ninth of its kind produced on the 1101 Eight chassis.

Between 1998 and 1999 this Packard was expertly restored by our friends, and fellow Hoosiers, at LaVine Restorations, Inc.—in Nappanee, Indiana—and elegantly emerged finished in a shade of crimson, with a neatly contrasting tan interior and convertible top, and with black wall tires and color-matched spoked wheels.

The lines on this exquisite 1101 Eight, along with its convertible top that folds flush with the body, were inspired by a 1931 ‘semi-custom’ design from LeBaron, but don’t be fooled by superficialities: this car is just as impeccable underneath its brilliant facade. Fitted with dual mount spares, and proudly wearing its CCCA Senior badge, our 1101 Eight Coupe Roadster is powered by an inline-eight cylinder engine capable of producing 145 smooth horsepower and is fitted with Ride Control suspension and Bijur automatic lubrication.

A perfect 100 from the CCCA

In 1983 Packard collector Robert Woolfitt of Norfolk, Virginia, purchased this Coupe Roadster and would start showing the automobile at AACA and CCCA events throughout the northeast, until the vehicle began to show signs of aging. Entrusted by Woolfitt, the specialists at LaVine Restorations treated the car to a full restoration between 1998 and 1999. Over that span, the vehicle was fully disassembled, allowing for all mechanical and cosmetic aspects to be restored and refurbished. Post-restoration, Woolfitt started once again showing the Packard, and over the course of a decade the car racked up an impressive list of CCCA and AACA awards.

All told, this Packard has accumulated a remarkable 15 First in Class awards—and many additional honors—during its illustrious show career, and at the 1999 CCCA Michigan Grand Classic this exquisite piece of Packard history earned a perfect 100-point score.

A Restoration for the Ages

Reportedly, this 1101 Eight Coupe Roadster was originally purchased new from the Fonda Motor Car Company in Connecticut by American actress and singer Arline Judge. Judge, whose film career spanned the 1930s and 1940s, had homes in both California and Connecticut at the time and was famously pictured with an 1101 Eight Coupe Roadster; thought to be the Coupe Roadster now in our collection.

While definitive proof is lacking, and the vehicle’s original ownership might be left to speculation, there is much about this immaculate Coupe Roadster that is abundantly clear. Packard’s in-house coachwork production during the 1930s, mainly a result of the economy, turned out to be regarded as its best of the period—particularly its coachwork from 1934. Also beyond dispute: this highly-desirable 1934 Packard 1101 Eight Coupe Roadster is considered by many to be one of the best-restored Junior Eleventh Series Packards of all time.