Even in a dusty garage there’s no mistaking a pre-war Packard grille. Thanks to reader Pat L. spotted this running, driving 1940 Packard coupe near Houston, Texas. It seeks a new owner here on craigslist where $9,500 will earn you the title.
This once-stately Packard suffered the indignity of foul behavior by garage-kept birds. Otherwise, it might convey a hot-rod look with its red wheels, white wall tires, and primer. Customizing a Packard should be done (if at all) with appreciation and respect. Still, power was always a point of pride at Packard, and besting other vehicles with performance pays homage to its original intent. Even the sales literature for this 1940 model stated: “The rear view is not a rare view for other motorists — but it’s always a pleasing one.” Another great quote calls the ’40 Packard “a grand place to loaf!” Check out this and more at packardinfo.com.
The “business coupe” was a popular configuration in the ’30s and ’40s, offering comfort for two (and sometimes small seats behind) and room for catalog cases and samples frequently needed by traveling salespeople of the day. The listing’s sparse description leaves many questions unanswered, but this shot depicts a refurbished or replaced seat and mostly solid metal. A picture of the rusty driver’s floor seems less optimistic.
The seller’s notation of six cylinders (assuming original engine type) makes this a 110 model, a step below the inline eight-cylinder “120.” That fact renders this car less valuable as an investment and therefore more hot-roddable. It would be a shame for a mostly-original car to be butchered, but no more of a shame than rotting out of site for decades. What’s your plan for this Packard?
You’ve stated that there is no mistaking a pre-war Packard grill and they are stately. However in the 1948 Packard featured a few days ago on BF you can clearly see the echoes of the early grill on the ‘48. I had recently watched the film Chinatown and they had a couple of Packard automobiles starring. The grills on those were indeed eye-catching at least to me.
I’m pretty sure, this was Packards least expensive car in 1940 at $867, almost $200 more than a Ford or Chevy. I’d have to think Packard business coupes would be pretty rare, as business coupes were usually cheap cars, the cheaper the better. Great find, but has resto-mod all over it, and that’s ok.
The grill you speak of was Packards traditional “tombstone” style grill and every Packard had it in some form. From the beginning to the last ’58 Packardbaker.
Hadn’t heard “tombstone” before, thought they were described as “ox yoke”? As though anyone today would know what that looks like! See paragraph 11 –
https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hcc/2008/02/Packard-Perfection—1940-Model-120-Touring/1580086.html
Hmm, I never heard it called “ox-yoke” grill. I’ve always heard it called “tombstone”. ( 2nd paragraph, “with the signature upright tombstone grill”)
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2014/05/06/prototype-for-packard-revival-project-heads-to-auction/
1940 Fords = ubiquitous. ( I do love ’em!)
1940 Packards = rare.
No matter how finished, to be a runner or a show car, stock or modded, so cool. Please, no rat rod from this one!
I’d get it back to as close to original
as possible and then enjoy the fruits
of my labor. Hope the headlight shells are somewhere nearby as these would be hard to find. Would
have to upgrade the brakes and
electrics for safety on today’s roads.
But that would be a small price to
pay for getting this rare bear back on
the road where it should be. Would
like to have this car, but the asking
price is too high for what you get.
More like a 4 or 5K car to me.
Just sayin’….
Complete headight assemblies are easy to find, while they were only for 1940 models, all Packard series cars had the same ones, and they rarely were damaged or rusted out.
I would put a set of nipple hub caps and run with it.
Big motor In front big tires in rear go fast all around
Great looking. It would hard to decide whether to restore or hot rod it. But please not a lowrider as the ad states as an option.
The vertical chrome slats on my 1936 Packard were operated by mechanical thermostat, opening up as the engine reached temperature and closing slowly when it was shut down. I think that feature was implemented earlier and continued for years.
My close friend’s grandfather was the advertising writer who coined the phrase, “Ask the man who owns one.” which I have always considered the ultimate Packard tagline, though “a great place to loaf” is a close second.
Another guy I know who is a legitimate hot rodder (he welded up his own chassis out of stainless for a ’40 Ford project – I’m still impressed) had one similar to this. When I asked if he’d kept the original engine he said he’d swapped in a SBC because you don’t want to be stranded far from home with no parts availability.
For me that was a sobering comment on the old car hobby and a mild rebuke to those purists who insist on keeping it stock. To each his own, I guess, but I’m hopeful that whoever gets this car just makes it nice again, enjoyable to drive, and fun to share with the rest of us.
You may be on the right track Pete. I saw
one of these packing a 350 Chevy and a
T-400 tranny 40 years ago at a car show
in Bloomington, Ill. It was nicely done
and the fit and finish were astounding.
The only way I’d build it as a street rod
Would depend upon the build quality
that I could muster today. If I were a
few years younger, I’d try it.
S10 chassis, Cut to fit
,BBC, 6sp stick. Go baby go.
A friend had a ’36 Packard for which he got a crate engine, so numbers did not match, but no worries about the basic engine and carried with him a spare generator, fuel pump, coil, belts and hoses and water pump, and drove it great distances, and eventually it was driven from NH to CA with no issues. So with an engine rebuild, and spares for the hard to get but essential parts, you can drive a ’30’s – ’40’s car with some confidence that you will get home. That was 20 years ago, I suppose today I would carry a couple brake cylinders and a headlight and a few tail light bulbs and fuses as well.
I would Not chop or change the body lines but give it an original paint by use two different colors on the body, underneath the hood would put a modern engine and then there is the interior using the original gauges and hiding a radio so not to ruin the lines of the dashboard high end caramel interior giving modern comforts but leaving the original stearin wheel leaving the window cranks and hiding all the buttons or switches in a center console to control the windows and what ever else last but not least allowing the driver seat front passenger seat the ability to have the seat come forward like in the Buick Reatta’s to give extra support for those long drives
Great find and project. But, the price seems high. No underside pics, no interior pics, no under hood pics. If anyone wants to sell a car, I believe they should clean it up a bit and take lots of pictures. BTW, still for sale.