In Episode Four of the automotive series The Journey, Jack and Travis discuss the restoration of a 1934 Packard Twelve 1107 Convertible Victoria with surprising Dietrich interior
The Journey, an in-depth automotive series produced by The JBS Collection in association with LaVine Restorations and Eyedart Creative Studio, documents restoration projects completed by owner Jack Boyd Smith Jr. and his restoration partner Travis LaVine. In Episode Four of the popular series, Jack and Travis recount the restoration of a 1934 Packard Twelve 1107 Convertible Victoria that came with a marvelous surprise.
Before purchasing this Packard Twelve, Smith Jr. had been searching for an eight-cylinder model to add to his renowned collection—ranked among the top 100 collections worldwide by The Classic Car Trust’s The Key publication. Instead, he found and purchased this 12-cylinder Convertible Victoria model after falling in love with its magnificent lines and exquisite coachwork.
Smith Jr. then sent the Packard off for restoration to Travis’s father, Eric LaVine—who founded LaVine Restorations, Inc. in Nappanee, Indiana more than 50 years ago with his wife Vivian. Knowing that the Packard’s time-consuming restoration would begin with a significant, initial disassembly, Smith Jr. did not expect to hear back from Eric immediately.
“I dropped the Packard off, but then I got a call from Eric—who I worked with for many years before he and Vivian handed over the shop keys to Travis,” said Smith Jr. “They had just dismantled the Packard for restoration, and Eric says, ‘Jack, you’re not going to believe this,’ and he tells me that this Packard has an interior plate that indicates it was outfitted with custom Dietrich coachwork. That was a shock, because at no point was it ever mentioned to me that this was a rare Packard Twelve with a LeBaron body and a custom Dietrich interior. I asked Eric how many Packard Twelves he’d seen like that in all his years of restoration work. The line went quiet for a few seconds, and then Eric said, ‘I’ve never seen one like that. Not one.'”
In that revelatory moment, Smith Jr.’s Packard Twelve gained instant status as one of the most unique rarities within The JBS Collection. True to form, this magnificent Packard Twelve—since its completed restoration at LaVine Restorations—has become the ultimate concours show-stopper. The Packard has won first place concours awards at Pebble Beach (2015), Amelia Island (2016), and St. John’s (2016), and received the Most Elegant American Automobile special award at the 2019 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance.
“It’s hard to put into words just how special this Packard Twelve is,” said Travis LaVine, who still, on occasion, hears his parents tell the story of the Packard’s surprise Dietrich interior. “This model was only in production for three years, so availability was limited to begin with, and the 1934 model was by far the most sought after. Just to put it in perspective, there are fewer than ten Packard Twelve 1107 Convertible Victoria models still in existence and this one remains, to this day, the only 1934 Packard Twelve 1107 Convertible Victoria we’ve ever seen with a LeBaron body and a Dietrich custom interior. As Jack and I discuss in The Journey, this Packard is an absolute treasure.”
The JBS Collection presently includes a noteworthy assemblage of award-winning Packard automobiles manufactured between 1913 and 1948, including several Packard Twelve models also featuring legendary Dietrich coachwork.
Smith Jr.’s collection of 15 Packard automobiles—overall—captures the wide-ranging history of the company’s design language and automotive evolution, and this 1934 Packard Twelve carries a special place in its owner’s heart.
“Part of being a collector is that you never really know what you’re going to find out about an automobile until you start to dig in,” said Smith Jr. “I knew this Packard Twelve would be a good addition to The JBS Collection when I bought it, but I had no idea it would become one of our crown jewels. Last year, in 2024, the automotive world celebrated the 125th anniversary of the Packard marque. At the time we were in the planning stages with The Journey, and this was one of the fascinating restoration projects I wanted to share with our many friends, fans, and followers. Few things make me happier than sharing automobiles like this Packard with the world.”
Previous episodes of The Journey detail the preservation of an American-made 1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Pall Mall manufactured in the British automaker’s expansion plant in Springfield, Massachusetts (Episode Three); a 1928 Minerva AF Transformable Town Car featuring Hibbard & Darrin coachwork and powered by Charles Yale Knight’s infamous sleeve valve engine (Episode Two); and a 1934 Packard Twelve 1108 Custom Convertible Sedan by Dietrich that was once owned by female arctic explorer Louise Arner Boyd (Episode One).