1949 PACKARD DELUXE EIGHT / 44K ACTUAL MILES / 100% ORIGINAL PAINT / NO RESERVE

1949 Packard Description

1949 PACKARD FIRST SERIES

DELUXE EIGHT SEDAN

HISTORY

By the end of World War II, Packard was in excellent financial condition with assets of around $33 million, but several management mistakes became ever more visible as time went on. Like other US automobile companies, Packard resumed civilian car production in late 1945, labelling them as 1946 models by modestly updating their 1942 models. As only tooling for the Clipper was at hand, the Senior-series cars were not rescheduled. One version of the story is that the Senior dies were left out in the elements to rust and were no longer usable. Another long-rumored tale is that Roosevelt gave Stalin the dies to the Senior series, but the ZiS-110 state limousines were a separate design

The new design chosen was a "bathtub" type. While this was considered futuristic during the war and the concept was taken further with the 1949 Nash—and survived for decades in the Saab 92-96 in Europe—the 1948–1950 Packard styling was polarizing. To some it was sleek and blended classic with modern; others nicknamed it the "pregnant elephant". Packard sold 92,000 vehicles for 1948 and 116,000 of the 1949 models, however in the early post-WWII years, the demand for new cars was extremely high and nearly any vehicle would sell.

The 1949 Packard featured in this auction lived its life as a car in rural Iowa. The equipment includes a 288 cubic inch straight eight engine producing 135 horsepower, with standard shift and Overdrive. It was brought to the Labor Day Auburn Kruse auction in 1999 and sold to a collector in Indianapolis. He contracted with Wildrick Restoration to do a DOT5 silicone brake job and other repairs including new Coker Classic Bias ply tires. The car was then sold to my next door neighbor where it sat unused in dry storage until last month. The car is 100% original paint and has never been damaged. The mileage is 44,768. The mileage listed on the Indiana title in my name is 44,325, miles actual.

CONDITION

The 1949 Packard Deluxe Eight Sedan offered herehas a matching numbers, great running, smooth, quiet straight eight engine. The clutch is smooth and positive. The gearboxes are quiet and the overdrive works perfectly. It sports magnificent original woodgrain and interior. The carpeted front floor mat and rear carpet is nearly perfect. This has to be one of the NICEST original Packards on the planet! I can find no evidence of any damage or repaint anywhere on this car. I polished the paint and it shines like new. I resisted the urge to touch up the paint as there are small defects. The trunk floor has been partially replaced. I could find no other rust on this car. All of the exterior chrome and trim is quite nice. All of the lights and gauges function correctly, except the gas gauge is intermittent. I put a new float on the tank sender and it checked out OK, but on the car it only works sometimes. The vacuum powered wipers work well. The radio and clock are inop. There is a small hole in the muffler. The original Firestone spare tire is fossilized, but still in place. I rebuilt the Carter WDO carburetor and fuel pump. The fuel tank was restored by Tank Renu and the warranty can be registered to the new owner. The brakes were rebuilt using DOT5 silicone brake fluid. There is a new Redtop Optima 6volt starting battery. I replaced the burned out Foglight bulbs with the correct clear GE bulbs. There is a battery shutoff switch under the driver’s front seat. It is currently titled in my name, licensed, insured and on the road. I have been driving this car as an everyday car the last few days. It runs, shifts, drives, handles and stops perfectly!

DETAILS

This Packard Deluxe Eight is a Beautiful all original paint car. You can drive this car to Cruise Ins and shows right now. You can get into the Collector car hobby with a turnkey car. I believe that this Packard can be driven to any destination. It is ready to go. I have done my best to make an accurate detailed description of this car. If there is an aspect that is not mentioned or you require additional information regarding an item, please E-mail or call Larry at 317-908-6401 with any questions or to schedule an appointment to inspect and drive this Packard Deluxe Eight Sedan before the auction ends. Please do not bid unless you intend to purchase the vehicle. I will do whatever is necessary to expedite the delivery to include picking you up at the Indianapolis Airport or meeting your shipper. I have been told that I should include the language from the Federal Trade Commission Buyers Guide. This vehicle is being sold As-Is, Where-Is, With No Warranty or Guarantee.