There are times when customizing a car must seem like a good idea, and maybe that was part of the intent with the work that has been performed on this 1930 Packard 726. Originally a luxurious 5-seat sedan, someone has made the decision that it would also make a pretty handy pickup, so has hacked off the rear bodywork. After 50-years of inactivity, the time has come for this old classic to head to a new home. Located in Ashland, Wisconsin, you will find the Packard listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set the listing to open at $3,500 in a No Reserve auction, and while there has been no bidding action up to this point, there are 66 people who are watching the listing.

When this Packard first saw the light of day, the company was really at the peak of its power. The brand was not only America’s top-selling luxury car but was also the market leader in the export of luxury cars, with sales in a total of 61 countries. Packard was also a producer of trucks at one point in their history, but at some point, a previous owner of this 726 must have decided that those vehicles weren’t quite luxurious enough, so has taken to this 726 in a positively do-it-yourself effort. The result probably wasn’t pretty when the work was originally performed, but 50-years and some exposure to the elements have only made it look worse. There is rust in the floors, but we can’t get a good look at the frame to ascertain its condition. There is some rust in the front fenders, but what remains of the original body actually doesn’t appear to be too bad. The car does feature a couple of really nice and unusual factory options, including the rear luggage rack, and the fender-mounted park lights.

One of the areas in which Packard excelled during the era in which this car was produced was in the design and building of engines. In this case, the engine of choice is the 320ci (actually 319.2ci) straight-eight engine. This flathead beauty produced 90hp, which went to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission. These two features were a strong selling point at the time because the engine was both smooth and quiet for one produced in this era, while the transmission was also smooth and light in operation when compared to offerings from the competition. This engine is largely complete, but it isn’t known if it even turns freely, as it hasn’t run in more than 50-years. Having said that, it does look clean and surprisingly free of the sort of corrosion that you might expect from a car that has been sitting for so long, so the next owner might just be a bit lucky on that front.

Given the fate of the rest of the 726, the dash looks surprisingly good, and could definitely be restored. The factory heater is still sitting under the dash, and the frame and springs for the front seat are also present. The rest of the interior has probably suffered the same fate as the rear bodywork, which is a crying shame. Even with what little remains today, you can get a real impression of just how luxurious the 726 must have been when new. Even though it was built on the shortest wheelbase (127.5″) for a Packard sedan at the time, the car featured an enormous amount of legroom, both front, and rear. Occupants could really stretch out in total comfort.

I guess that now we have to take a good look at this Packard and decide exactly what to do with it. Restoration of the car will represent a major undertaking, and the missing bodywork would either have to be replaced with second-hand items, or completely new panels would need to be fabricated by hand. This could be done, but it would not be a cheap exercise. If the engine and transmission actually prove to be in good health, then that would be a bonus. The deciding factor then would be what the ultimate value is likely to be. The 726 is not a particularly rare car, but then again, you won’t find thousands of them for sale at the present time. While a really good one can set you back anywhere around the $65,000 mark, there are a few clean and driveable examples on the market at present for below $35,000. If the next owner decides that they would like to restore the car and can secure it for around the opening bid price-range, there does appear to be a reasonable amount of room to move on the restoration and have it still remain financially viable. However, with the amount of specialist work that might be required to bring the body back to its best, it could also be a restoration that will eventually cost more than the car would ultimately be worth. That would make the restoration a labor of love.