One-Twenty 3 Speed Manual

1937 Packard One-Twenty Hearse Description

Amazing barn find from Long Island New York in 2018! Very rare, limited production Packard Hearse by Silver-Knightstown of Knightstown, IN. Likely one of only a handful ever produced on Packard's 158-inch wheelbase commercial chassis! Features dual side mounts with covers, Motorola radio, clock, heater, original drive train, and more! A historic car worthy of restoration!
Ambulances, hearses, and funeral service vehicles have been around since civilized society began. Specialty manufacturers have been building these vessels for hundreds of years, most with specialty construction in limited production quantities. One of these firms was the Kingstown Body Company that founded in 1900 by Robert Silver and Charles Walters, who specialized in buggies, carriages, wagons, and hearses for clients regionally located in Indiana and neighboring Ohio. After the two owners split in 1922, Robert Silver reorganized as the Silver-Knightstown Body Company in 1928. They continued to manufacture high quality, state-of-the-art coaches to private services and government departments across the country. Many of their side-loading hearse coaches were built on the finest chassis' available, mainly Cadillac & Lincoln. They were also known to build on customer-supplied chassis' as well. This meant some upscale Silver-Knightstown hearses rode on Willy-Knight, Packard, and even a handful of Rolls-Royce chassis'! Sadly, with the onset of WWII in 1942, much of their trained employees went off to war and the company ultimately dissolved shortly thereafter in 1943.
Offered here is a very rare 1937 Packard 120 Hearse by Silver-Knightstown Body Company of Knightstown, IN. Built on the Packard 120B commercial chassis with a wheelbase measuring a massive 158" long, this hearse represents one of very few known to exist! Originally painted black and said to have been used at a Brooklyn, New York cemetery for most of its working life, it later traded hands to a private collector in the 1960's. This collector tucked this unique Packard hearse into a storage facility in Long Island, New York next to a 1937 Rolls-Royce bodied by Franay that was a Paris Auto Show car, and a Best of Show Concours d'Elegance winning 1947 Delahaye Cabriolet 135M one-off custom where they would all stay, unseen for the next 50+ years! They were discovered by Luxury Brokers International in February 2018 and celebrated as one of the finest barn finds in many decades, especially all three unique examples at once! We were delighted to have the chance to bring this special Packard back to St. Louis in hopes to restore it someday.
The foundation of this Packard Hearse remains quite sturdy, with solid panels and interior structure fully intact. The original 282ci L-Head inline 8 engine is seized and will likely require replacement or significant machine work. Otherwise, the entire driveline & drivetrain have never been apart. Only new window glass where needed & fresh tires have been installed to allow for easier transport. Some interesting options to point out are the dual side mounted spares with hard covers, trumpet horns, factory heater, dash clock, and Motorola 504 car radio! Also included will be a front grill guards and original door panels for matching up the replacement material. It measures exactly 240" in length, 76" high, and 72" wide. The dual side access doors are 44" wide.
Due to time constraints and the ideal end result we would desire, we felt it is best to offer this special hearse to someone with the resources to complete it properly. Rated 'Extremely Rare' by the Classic Automobile Appraisal & Resource Guide, this is a unique opportunity not to be missed! Considered to be one of only handful ever to be built, it should prove to be a rewarding restoration for the right collector. We invite questions, inspections, and offers!