December 1, 2025
Every car in the Classic Car Club of America Museum has a history, but few have a story quite as chilling as this one.
In our latest episode of Classic Tales, we take a look at a stunning 1937 Packard 1508 Convertible Victoria. While its custom design and engineering are marvels of the pre-war era, it is the car’s brush with a notorious serial killer in 1953 that truly sets it apart.
A Giant’s Request: Custom Coachwork by Rollston
Before we get to the mystery, we have to appreciate the machine. This Packard sits on a massive 144-inch wheelbase—the longest chassis Packard offered in 1937.
Why so long? It was built for Frank Shattuck, an executive for the famous Schrafft’s restaurant and candy chain. Shattuck stood 6-foot-5 and needed the interior legroom of a limousine, but he wanted the style of an open-air convertible.
To achieve this, the body was penned by Rudy Creteur of Rollston, one of the most respected coachbuilders of the 1930s. Despite the Great Depression shrinking Rollston’s production from 50 bodies a year to just 20, they crafted a masterpiece for Shattuck. He used the car for 14 years to commute between Syracuse and the Schrafft’s offices in Manhattan.
The Long Drive Home
In 1953, the car changed hands. It was purchased by Ernest Stern, a Pittsburgh movie theater operator and collector. Stern sent a young enthusiast named Ed Blend to the Bronx to pick up the car and drive it back to Pennsylvania.
The trip did not go smoothly.
The instrument lights didn’t work.
One headlight was burned out.
The brake lights were failing.
Exhausted and driving a car with failing electrics in the pitch dark, Blend pulled over on the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Carlisle to sleep until morning.
Enter the Phantom
The summer of 1953 was a terrifying time for Pennsylvania motorists. The newspapers had dubbed a local serial killer the “Pennsylvania Turnpike Phantom.“ This killer—later identified as John Wesley Wable—was targeting sleeping motorists, shooting and robbing them in the dead of night.
Aware of the danger, Ed Blend went to sleep in the Packard with a lug wrench across his lap.
Late in the night, a car rolled up behind him with its lights off. When the Packard’s door was pulled open, Blend didn’t wait to ask questions—he came out swinging with the tire iron. A fight ensued, and the attacker, perhaps surprised by the resistance, retreated to his car and sped off into the night.
A Brush with Death?
Blend survived the encounter unharmed. He reported that the attacker’s car sounded like a Dodge or Chrysler product. Months later, when the “Phantom” (John Wesley Wable) was finally arrested, he was driving a 1935 Dodge.
Did Ed Blend fight off the Pennsylvania Turnpike Phantom?
The timeline is tight—the known murders happened in July, and Wable was in and out of jail in August—but Blend fully believed he had looked the killer in the eye. Whether it was Wable or another highwayman, the story adds a layer of grit and survival to this elegant vehicle’s history.
Watch the full video above to hear the complete story, see the archival footage, and get a closer look at the Rollston coachwork.
Key Vehicle Specs
Year: 1937
Make/Model: Packard 1508 Convertible Victoria
Coachbuilder: Rollston
Wheelbase: 144 inches
Original Owner: Frank Shattuck (Schrafft’s)
