Arthur Cooper's 1941 Packard

Arthur's Comet as it appeared when it was featured in Motor Trend November 1953.

This photo of Arthur's Packard appeared in Special Interest Autos, Jan-Feb 1974. Photo courtesy of Special Interest Autos.

1941 Packard 6 restyled by Spohn Coachworks for lieutenant Arthur Cooper. Known as the Cooper Comet, It took seven months for Spohn to finish Arthur's Packard. The car featured a sliding safety-glass roof over the front compartment. The rest of the roof was removable; it was attached by 6 bolts. In front the car featured a grill-bumper combination made of aluminum. Ordinary headlights were sunk into the fenders, giving the car a distinctive look. Foglights were integrated into the bumper-bombs. As with many other Spohn creations, the rear fenders received a treatment similar to the 1951 GM LeSabre Concept Car with its fins, taillights and chromed trim. Once the bodywork was done the car was painted light grey.

The seats inside Cooper's car formed a bed. A central pedestal held a five-band short-wave set and an icebox. Rear fender vents functioned as the rear window defroster. Arthur's Comet was featured in Motor Trend November 1953. In 1974 an image from the same photo session was published in Special Interest Autos, Jan-Feb 1974. According to that story, total build cost was $7000.

Magazine Features

Motor Trend November 1953
Special Interest Autos, Jan-Feb 1974