In crime dramas of the period starring James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson, Packards like this are the getaway car–after the Tommy guns have said their piece. This is a 1937 Packard 1508 Touring Limousine with a 144-inch wheelbase, a divider interior, and a V12 engine. It’s for sale here on eBay in Strongsville, Ohio, with a clean title and bidding to $8,600 (with reserve not met). Don’t you want to rescue it?

Considering how long ago 1937 was, this car is not all that bad. The biggest “oops” is that the engine and transmission are out of the car, but the drivetrain doesn’t look too bad in the photos. I don’t see the carburetor, but supposedly it’s included and the engine is “complete,” though not running.

The rest of the car is rough but not terminal, and the vendor says it lived for more than 50 years in an actual barn. Maybe it had to be hidden away after the hit on the cross-town rivals. The interior is the Packard’s best asset, and it’s even possible that most of the upholstery (black leather in front, tan cloth in back, as was standard limo practice) could be saved. The headliner is definitely toasted, but even the jump seats look good. Who doesn’t love a good divider window? This one appears intact, and maybe even rolls up and down.

The dashboard looks good, too. The body appears accident-free, and most of the trim is there, minus a hubcap or two, some badging and the radiator ornament. The bumpers are there but you’ll need to have a good chrome shop on speed-dial. There are no undercarriage shots, but the only visible rust is the surface variety popping up through what’s left of the (possibly original?) black paint.

These cars were very opulent in their day, competing with the V-16 Cadillacs, and this one was undoubtedly quite elegant—check out those dual side mounts. The owner thinks there could be big bucks for the buyer/restorer in using the Packard in a limo business, but that seems a rather déclassé approach to what is, after all, a Full Classic. How about a movie car instead?

Restoration will not be cheap, even if the V-12 turns out to be in good condition. (But if that was the case, why would they have taken it out?) The resurrection of this big beast is going to be years in the making, with the body off the chassis and multiple specialists at work and parts suppliers engaged.

Anybody priced bodywork lately? I just got quoted $1,300 for little squiggles of rust on the flanks of my Saab 900 Turbo convertible. An open checkbook will be necessary to bring this Packard back to its original ready-for-Hershey-when-it-opens-back-up glory. Have you got one of those?