1936 V-12 Club Sedan owned by
Ernie and Dianne Crutcher

In 1957, I was on my way to Bellingham in my 1932 Packard Roadster.  When I was at Northgate, a man flagged me over to look at my car.  He loved Packards and said “You don’t see the nice old ones anymore”.  Then he told me of a V12 that was close by and asked if I would be interested in seeing it.  I said “Sure”, and we went to a house that was not far from the Northgate Shopping Mall.  

The car was sold new from Seattle Packard and had been in his family since 1936.  The car had developed noise in the engine, and he tore the engine down in 1949.  He wasn't able to complete the job, since he had no knowledge of the V12.  I asked if he would sell the car.  He said “No”.  

Twenty years later, I tried to find the place. I had given up when I saw a big monkey tree.  I remembered that the house with the Packard had a monkey tree in the yard.  I stopped and tried the house door bell, but no one was home.  The neighbor came over and said they had moved to the East Coast 12 years ago, but they never sold the house.  I asked him if the Packard was still in the garage.  He tried the garage door, and it opened.  There sat the Packard V12—just like it looked in 1957.  

I stopped again about 17 years later.  They had moved back to Seattle .  I asked if he would sell the Packard.  He said he would because they were going to move to Colorado .  He wanted quite a bit of money for the car.  I finally said OK.  I returned with the money two days later on a Sunday.  That weekend there was an old car show at Northgate.  The owner happened to go to the car show and asked some of the owners  what a Packard V12 was worth.  They told him it was worth at least $40,000 to $50,000.  He told me the sale was off.  He and his wife then took the car to Colorado .  

I put it out of my mind for the next 10 to 12 years.  Last year, the owner in Colorado called Tom Crook and wanted to sell the Packard.  Tom told him that he didn’t pay that kind of money for a car in pieces.  Tom told me, and I tried to call the owner, but could not get an answer.  Diane called the phone company in Colorado and got the address.  I wrote a letter to the Packard owner, but did not get an answer.  So I once again forgot about it.  

About 4 months later, I got a phone call in the evening from a man in San Diego .  He said the owner of the Packard had died soon after he  talked to Tom Crook.  As he had no living relations, everything had been left to him as a friend.  He said he wanted me to have the car.  I couldn’t make my mind up for quite some time.  I didn’t want to drive that far and spend so much money.  Diane told me “Do it or forget about it.”  Tom Crook said I could use his new ramp truck.  I didn’t want to, but he talked me into it.  

I got the ramp truck on Wednesday and left Thursday morning.  I called Diane Thursday evening and told her I was in Colorado .  I spent all day Friday loading up the car and all the parts.  I left Friday evening with the Packard and arrived home Saturday evening.  I have been working on her in my spare time.  It will be one great car after being in pieces for the last 56—57 years.  

Ernie makes a "minor adjustment"

Ernie Crutcher