You had to be somebody to own one of these. Nearby is the Schrafft car's soul mate, another Packard 12 Dietrich Convertible Sedan, this one dating from 1937. This car was used by Juan and Evita Peron on their visits to the United States. The Peron car arrived at Scales' shop as a collection of twisted, blackened sheetmetal. The restoration shop in New Jersey that had begun the job burned to the ground, and the remains were exposed to the weather during the years of litigation that followed.
Scales still has chunks of the burned ash frame, and photographs of the wreck.
The restoration, three-quarters finished, has run well into six figures, but Scales is confident that the work is worth doing. This 1937 Packard Twelve Dietrich Covertible Sedan once carried a New York diplomatic registration made out in the name of Juan Peron. R.I. The car somehow found its way into the hands of a fraternity at a college in Worcester, Mass., and then later was owned by the college itself. This particular car holds Scales' interest because of its tidy, retractable roof for the chauffeur. Otherwise, he sat in the rain.