"I located the car in late '86 as it was being advertised in Hemming's by Peter Sobian (Automobilia in Cambria, Ca.) I tracked the car to he current owner, Dan Verstuyft (Porsche Speedster and vintage NASCAR driver), and when he decided to sell the car, I bought it and brought it back to Escondido to restore it.  

The missing history is a bit cloudy, but the car was stolen from Les Dawes (LaDawri Coachcraft), who had bought the body molds from Victress mfg. when it folded. Les had used the car to promote his company, and when he shut down LaDawri, he kept the Packwood as his personal car, until it was stolen. He was never paid by the party that "bought" it, and the car fell out of sight.  When I found it in '86, it had been wrecked, stripped, and parked
outside (I think in a backyard in the Los Angeles area). Peter Sobian can't seem to remember who he bought it from...  anyway... the search goes on.

There were lots of homebuilt "specials" put together during the late '50's.  What I think makes this car special is that, unlike most of these cars, this was a coupe,
and, (I think) one of the prettiest. Art Center graduate Merrill Powell designed the body for Victress in 1955.  The front does resemble a Ferrari 250 from 1959,
and the tail looks very post-'62 Corvette, both designed years later.  Plus, it was raced, and it was built in our driveway!  It was test driven by Carroll Shelby, and Don Hulette even drove the car.  It was pretty enough to be featured in Road & Track, and still retains some of the unique components that
it was born with, Borrani wheels, Abarth door handles, and the fuel tank is surplus from a B-25.

I'll also send you the article that was in Vintage Race Car."

Comments?  Please email me!