Garaged since 1968, this 1935 Packard 8 Business Sedan is coming to us from Westfield, MA. Oozing with class and elegance, this Packard needs some engine work and a good cleaning. Take home this stately ride for $28,000 or best offer.
If you were a well-heeled businessman in the 1930s, you probably drove one of the brands available to the upper echelon. Cadillac, Cord, Duesenberg, and a few other marques were at the top of the list. Among these was Packard. In fact, Packard was so highly regarded that President Franklin D. Roosevelt gifted an armored Packard 12 to Joseph Stalin in 1935, and it reportedly became Stalin’s favorite car to drive (was there any spy gear installed?). Packard was one of the few independent car manufacturers that survived the Great Depression. They did this by offering “medium” priced models in addition to the higher priced “Senior” lines. By doing this, they could sell more cars and stay in business. The only downside was that it diluted the allure of the higher-end models to the luxury set. Please check out Richard Langworth’s “Illustrated Packers’ Buyers Guide” to get the entire history of these rides. This period, specifically, was a fascinating time in the automotive industry.
This Packard for sale is one of the “Senior” models available in 1935. The 8 Business Sedan was manufactured on a 1202 chassis with a 320 cubic inch straight eight and was priced around $2600, the equivalent of about $60k today. So, for about half price, you could take this car home today. Not too shabby! The only issue is the engine. The seller states a “rap” in the engine, which is not terribly descriptive. Is it a rod knock? Or a spun bearing? Some more information would be nice to have regarding that. Otherwise, the pictures provided show that this car looks in good shape. There are no visible rust bubbles or significant imperfections in the body, and I’m sure a long afternoon of cleaning and detailing would make the black paint shine. Everything also appears to be present, so you won’t have to track down any period Packard pieces to complete the car.
The luxury cars from the 1930s command a presence. They take us back to a time of the haves and the have-nots and show us a picture of American luxury. Not too long ago, these cars were commanding large sums of money, but as the market shifted towards muscle cars and now supercars, these bastions of opulence have started to soften in the market. So, do you think this is a good deal? Would you pick this up, get it running, and join every city parade you could? Or maybe rent it to the Hollywood market for the next gangster flick? I would clean this up, get it running smoothly, and enjoy all the beautiful patina. They’re only original once! Check out this Packard here on Facebook Marketplace.
Not so easy or “inexpensive” to fix a “rap”..better have deep pockets because almost all mechanics of this age car are long gone..maybe a few left that even know the underhood of this car!! GLWTS
Not sure when Packard switched to shell bearings, but my first thought was that the cure for the “rap” would be a full engine teardown so the bearings could be re-babbitted. Other than that, these aren’t particularly complex (at least when compared with present-day computer-controlled powerplants) so the only things to worry about after fresh bearings are poured is the weight of all those internal bits. Not to mention the weight of the engine itself; pretty sure I’ve owned whole cars that couldn’t match the heft of that straight-eight.
But it’s elegant, probably comfortable, eye-catching, and I’d enjoy having it. At $28K, it’s too dear for me, but still….
1935 – 1951 have shell bearings for camshaft, rods, and main bearings. Check your Motor’s Auto Repair Manual for overhaul specifics for 1935.
Apparently the ’35 – ’38 models originally had aluminum heads, Buyer’s guide published in 1991 (25 yrs ago) states any remaining may be “trouble-in-the-waiting”. “if the…head has 10 mm spark plugs, it is a replacement and should by reliable”.
Asking is down to $19,999
not a complex engine but parts are super expensive, a complete set of rod bearings will set you back around three grand, in order to grind the crank, the counterweights have to be removed, another big expense, if the block is in good shape plan on spending around twenty grand for a total rebuild.
Packard should have survived! Maybe IKE could have saved them? It just seems a shame. Bad management decisions killed my favorite car company. We are seeing that today too. Will any American brand survive?
As long as we allow makers to operate in our country they will continue to put us out of business. It started with VW and now every car maker in the world has at least one manufacturing plant here in the USA. We had a tariff plan going that kept the business on an even playing field but now the foreigners build here so no more tarrifs. All we can do is keep making our cars cheaper and charging more for them. I for one never ever imagined that any car would ever cost as much as thirty thousand dollars and now they are closer to sixty thousand. I’d rather go buy a 60 Continental and save a lot. This thirty five Packard is a great buy but if it needs a new engine then shop for a used replacement in running condition. Yes, they’re out there. You just have to go find them.
Packard unfortunately had no real chance to survive. they were in trouble during the Depression, then WW2 helped keep them going , but for some reason they didnt come out of the war very well. While the 1946 Packards were beautiful cars, The new post war bodies were a bit odd and didnt age very well. Sticking with a straight 8 didnt help much either in a country that was hungry for new and flashier things from their new cars. By the time they had a modern looking v8 car the handwriting was on the wall, and having a problematic transmission really killed potential sales. Even if the merger with the failing Studebaker hadn’t happened , I cant see them still competing in the auto business by 1960
Packard was one of the finest American car companies that just oozed quality. But you’ll be hard pressed to find a machine shop to help you tear down and rebuild this straight 8. It’s hard enough these days to get help rebuilding a 60s -70s V8. Unless someone is a Packard fanatic, the demand for this year Packard is pretty slim. Seller will be lucky to get half of what he’s asking.
True. That engine rebuild along with R&R would put you into this for say $59K. This is a car for an auto machine shop owner with a passion for Packards.
BF writers Dusty Travis and Jeff Bennett should compare notes. On Oct. 15, 2023 Jeff wrote about a 1939 Packard limo also located in Westfield, MA. I followed the ebay auction and it sold for only $10,000. In the pics you can see many other vintage cars covered up in background. Maybe a coincidence – but odds are – thinking this is the same Westfield, MA seller. What else does he have? Both fine looking unmolested old school Packard limos.
https://barnfinds.com/bring-bondo-mohair-and-money-1939-packard-limousine/
Interesting but it’s dowdy, like a funeral limo.
The “Illustrated Packers’ Buyers Guide”? Didn’t even know the team was for sale!
It’s currently$20 K. But a Packard on Marketplace?
How the mighty have fallen…
Good catch, Frank. I believe the Typos aside; I think the future is gloomy for all these old cars once they require a major mechanical overhaul. Good luck finding mechanics that will work on something like this; even if you have the parts in hand. The old timers are gone and the younger guys are plenty busy working on the newer stuff. They don’t want to touch our old relics. Many of us early Boomers just aren’t able to do the same deep dives into restoration work like we used to do. We have no choice but to turn to the younger folks to fix our toys. But many of them can’t help even when they are willing. For example, my son can change the turbo in his BMW and reprogram the engine computer; but he doesn’t have a clue how to set points and adjust timing in pre-electronic ignition vehicles. The young folks just don’t relate to the really old stuff. A few years ago my son put new tires on my 1952 Plymouth. Before he could drive it up on the lift I had to explain to him how the gear shift lever operated. Mind you his Beemer is a manual. My point is that we’re at a point in the hobby that is rapidly redefining itself. If this Packard needs an engine rebuild and you can’t do the tear down and rebuild yourself then you are pretty much SOL. Machine shops today are interested in performance not restoration of old boat anchors. Good restoration shops that can work on these cars have more work than they can handle. The window of the hobby as we’ve known it is steadily closing. I went to a local car show last weekend. There were over eighty cars and forty motorcycles. Really nice show. Lots of neat cars and cycles. The only stock pre war vehicle was a very nice 1935 Chevrolet sedan with suicide doors. The fellow that owned it was well into his eighties by my estimation. He told me that he had done most of the restoration work himself years ago. I wondered what would happen to the car when he passes on but I sure wasn’t going to discuss that with him. The place was packed and I was part of the small older crowd. Most were Gen X and Millennials. Only the geezer guys paid any attention to the ‘35 Chevy. The hobby is changing and I think it’s inevitable that old stuff will be fading away. I love these old cars but I don’t think I would ever consider buying one anymore.
Sadly, I must agree with Carbob. Prewar cars are finding a thinner audience every year. I’m glad I grew up in the Fifties and got to experience the car-crazy culture of that era.
If one had time, space and money, this would be a nice, silent ride. But the engine will indeed be VERY dear to rebuild. For the right, calm, quiet person, this would be a dream, but not at that price. I could see taking this on a cruise of America, on the highway even.
I think it should sell for somewhere between 20 and 25K.
It should Tom, but it won’t.