1933 Packard Eight Cabriolet (more pics below 👇)
Swiss coachbuilder Hermann Graber gained international recognition for clothing American chassis with elegantly styled European coachwork during the 1930s. Working from his Wichtrach facility near Bern, Graber specialized in cabriolets featuring heavily insulated cloth tops designed for Swiss winters, combining classical proportions with subtle sporting touches.
The styling on this Packard Eight included sweeping fenders, broad chrome beltline molding, a blind-quarter top with landau irons, and a rounded trunk treatment that echoed contemporary Mercedes-Benz designs. The interior featured walnut-capped doors and dashboard, leather upholstery with integrated door panel armrests, and full instrumentation including a clock.
Packard’s Model 1002 Standard Eight rode on a 136-inch wheelbase and housed a 320-cubic-inch straight-eight L-head engine producing 120 horsepower at 3,200 RPM. A three-speed manual transmission delivered the smooth, refined performance Packard buyers expected for extended touring.
Packard offered fourteen different body styles on the Standard Eight chassis, with prices starting at $2,150. Total production of the Model 1002 reached approximately 1,099 units during the difficult Depression year of 1933.
Continental buyers often imported bare American rolling chassis to avoid prohibitive taxes on complete vehicles, then commissioned local coachbuilders to create custom bodywork.
Only about seven Graber-bodied Packards are known to survive today, making these Swiss-American collaborations exceptionally rare among prewar luxury automobiles.
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