The collector car hobby is like all other special interests, where those of like mind gather to share their common enthusiasm. It’s where we make friends, and looking back over 50 years since joining the Longhorn Corvette Club in 1975 … I have a lot of old friends.
Fast forward 19 years, and my car horizon had expanded to include the big American classics from the 1930s. My wife Joy and I signed up as new members of the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) in 1994. At our first club meeting, we were made to feel warm and welcome by a wonderful couple, Bill and Barbara Mott, and their son, Bill III.
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They were older and special. Bill was a genuine gentleman and an automotive savant. He also had a passion for wooden boats. We miss him since his passing in 2006.
Bill III inherited both the car and boat genes and is an active member of the related clubs. He is a driving force in the CCCA, immediately recognizable in his 1947 Cadillac convertible that was restored in the late 80s as a father-son project. And he loves to work with other members of the Wooden Boat Association, restoring those cantankerous but gorgeous floating works of art. A great friend for nearly 40 years … an old friend indeed!
Barbara Mott is our “oldest” friend, looking forward to her birthday in April. I don’t think she will mind if I let you know that she will be 102! Definitely our Oldest Friend. Barbara is a beautiful and special lady. Always smiling and radiant. And she owns the magnificent 1936 Packard Touring Coupe featured here.
Bill III is the fortunate custodian of this extremely rare car.
Packard was the preeminent American automobile brand throughout the 1930s … on par with the world’s finest cars. The brand was America’s Rolls-Royce, with many of them exported for international royalty and the very wealthy.
The Packard brothers sold their first car in 1899. With the diversion of World War II and the intense competition that followed, the Packard business model could not be sustained. The company closed in 1958, and unfortunately, most of the books and records were destroyed, so we don’t know precisely how many Touring Coupes were built. We do know that it was a very small number. There might be one tucked away in a barn somewhere, but at this point, Barbara’s is the only 1936 Touring Coupe listed in the Packard Registry and the CCCA Membership Directory. The brand maintains a very loyal following that is devoted to preserving Packard’s history and legacy. Those devotees are always on the hunt for lost examples … someone will be fortunate indeed to find another one.
I have had an opportunity to drive this remarkable car and, despite its size … almost 5000 pounds and no power steering … it is nimble and easy to maneuver if you can avoid the surrounding traffic with their cell cameras! It certainly draws a crowd.
It is powered by a 130-horsepower straight-8 engine coupled to a 3-speed manual transmission. The industry’s first automatic transmission was from Oldsmobile and was still 4 years away. Barbara’s coupe is “loaded” with expensive options of the day: Ride Control, Trippe Lites (driving lights), dual fender-mounted spare tires, and a radio. The design for engine cooling included vertical shutters in the grill that opened and closed automatically to regulate water temperature.
This was a true luxury car of the day. There is obvious attention to detail throughout, including the interior fittings and upholstery that are elegant, and the most comfortable driver’s seat I have ever encountered.
Barbara recalls with enthusiasm the dozens of conventions and scenic driving tours within the CCCA calendar of events.
During her many years as an active club member with her husband, her appreciation for all kinds of cars grew, with her favorite being a brand-new 1958 Ford Thunderbird. They had a wide array of special cars…none as rare as this 89-year-old blue masterpiece.
Barbara got her first car in 1950. A 1949 MG TC that has a history all its own. Bill and Barbara sold the MG to a high school friend in 1952. That friend and Bill were classmates with Carroll Shelby. Carroll borrowed the MG for his first race, which he won. That victory started a career that made Shelby world famous as a race driver and developer of the Ford GT 40 that took the LeMans title from Ferrari in 1966-69. The Shelby “brand” remains prominent and respected to this day. His brilliant career started in Barbara’s MG. The little car became famous by association and was fully restored to exactly what it was like in Shelby’s early racing days. It sold at auction in 2008 for $313,500!
Barbara was there as a guest of honor, smiling and radiant behind the wheel … our OLD FRIEND in her element.
