This! Yes, this car, a 1937 Packard Six Sports Coupe in this condition, what a find! It turned up on our tip list and I wish I could thank someone for submitting this fantastic example of what was, one of America’s finest automobiles. And, 85 years on, it’s still one of America’s high water automotive marques. Located in Millersburg, Pennsylvania, this Packard Six is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $24,000 with the reserve not yet met.

My initial assumption is that this Packard is a “Survivor” but the listing is short on details so it’s hard to glean much about its past. It shows like new and the seller claims, “it’s an original…no rust ever“. Also added is the fact that this sports coupe is a senior Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) winner so you know it’s in rarified air territory. The seller suggests, “nice chrome“, gee, you think? It’s spectacular! There are images of the underside included and they show as nicely as the topside – there is nothing out of place with this car, or in need of attention.

Under the runway-long hood is a 100 HP, 237 CI, in-line, flathead six-cylinder engine, joined together with a three-speed manual transmission. The engine does not show signs of recent disassembly or rebuilding but it gives no indication of heavy usage either. There is no mileage recording so making assumptions about its usage, status, or remaining life is further clouded. The seller does include, “The vehicle runs great and is mainly used for car shows“.

The goodness continues indoors too where every aspect is nothing short of pristine. The seating upholstery is in such a fine condition that I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that it has been reupholstered. The level of splendor, however, continues elsewhere with the headliner, carpet, dash, gauges, pedals, and door panels.

I find these coupe body styles so unusual, at least in today’s world. Being a sports coupe, this car has a mother-in-law seat, also known as a rumble seat that will accommodate two diminutive passengers. Packard also offered a business coupe that eliminated the outbound seat, replacing it with an enlargened trunk, but its purpose in life was understood. The questionable thing that I keep focusing on is why a four-seater sports coupe vs. a four-seater two-door sedan (officially known as a Touring Coupe)? That’s a body style also offered by Packard in ’37 and it kept the two additional passengers inside as opposed to exposing them to the elements (unless they were “passengers” that you’d rather not have on board!). Packard built 65K Model Six cars in ’37 but I couldn’t find a body style breakdown. Apparently, Packard,  according to the Packard Club, didn’t report that statistic until after WWII.

The lightness of the listing for such an exalted piece of American automotive history is a bit confounding.  It’s a pleasure to review a car of this class, but the lack of details just encourages more questions and maybe that’s the plan, draw in interest and then pile on the details to make the sale. No idea where the reserve is set on this Packard Sports Coupe, but whoever manages to trip it will be acquiring one of the finest examples of automotive excellence and beauty that I’ve encountered.