Patrons of the Norwin Public Library can be surprised everyday by the items and materials housed in the Special Collections and Local History Room . Just like when Mr . Ron Schoelkopf called in from Los Angeles in October of this year . He was searching for a rare book prized among the classic car enthusiast community .
Mr . Schoelkopf was looking for a copy of The Magnificent Packard Twelve of Nineteen Thirty-Four , an in-depth study of a specific year and marque ( make ) of Packard Motor Car Company . Edward J . Blend , the author , was a life-long car buff , who grew up alongside the busy , historic Lincoln Highway . Mr . Blend intended the book to be both a history of the Packard Motor Car Company and as an inventory of all the cars that came off the line during 1934 and of the Twelve marque . It tracked the history of the cars , with a list of owners and transfers , as far as the author was able to track them through 1977 , the year of publication .
Mr . Blend ’ s book was limited in availability , as it was self-published in Irwin . This has not , however , stopped the demand for the book . Additionally , the book is used as an important resource for the classic car community . In an auction at Sotheby ’ s in May of 2015 , the book was referenced in the listing for a 1934 Packard Twelve Sport Coupe by LeBaron that sold for $ 2.2 million .
Mr . Schoelkopf was looking for information from Blend ’ s book , as he was presented with the opportunity to purchase a vehicle , a 1934 Rollston Roadster , that was included in the book . He found the Norwin Public Library due to the fact that not many copies are held in public institutions , with most being privately held . A
quick internet search turns up only three results , other than the Norwin Public Library . These include Waynesburg University ( where Mr . Blend attended college ), the Library of Congress , and C . H . Motorcars Library , a Naples , Florida library focused on classic car literature .
Mr . Blend died in 2009 and his book has become that much more rare to the classic car community he was a part of for more than 50 years . His book is available from the Special Collections and Local History Room upon request .
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