- Exceptional British-delivery Packard
- Amazingly original inside and out
- Fitted with optional dual side mounts
- Includes luggage trunk with matching cases
As the follow-up to Packard's most successful year to date,
Seventh-Series Packards were introduced on 29 August 1929.
Attractive by any definition, they were lower with sleeker lines
and fitted with the flowing front fenders that are now emblematic
of the Classic Era. Most Seventh-Series Packards were production
cars, but the catalogue included a wide range of custom bodies
tailored to meet the demands and needs of their wealthy clientele.
One of the body styles available was the Custom Eight limousine,
body style 415, a fine example of which is offered here.
This incredible time-capsule Packard was ordered from Packard and
delivered for final assembly to Leonard Williams and Co. of London,
the Packard distributor for the whole of Britain. After appropriate
modifications were made for the British market, the car then found
its original owner, a Mr. William Selkirk, through the Williams
dealership. Mr. Selkirk made his fortune in copper mining and lived
in an enormous estate 40 miles south of London called Colwood
House. Selkirk and his beloved Packard would remain there until his
death in 1960, with the original signed owner's manual, copies of
his original registration book, and written correspondence
documenting his 30-year history with the car. Since passing to the
next British owner before crossing the Atlantic to the United
States, the car has spent the following decades in long-term
ownership in the care of three private collections.
Today the car presents in amazingly original condition. A
right-hand-drive example, it still bears the signs of its time in
Great Britain, including its trafficator turn signals and "Boa
Constrictor" horn. The stunning burled-wood dash retains its
Leonard Williams dealership plaque. This amazing Packard retains
its original interior, which presents with a truly lovely patina.
On the exterior, most of the original paint, original glass, and
optional dual side-mount spare tires remain. Included with the car
is an original accessory trunk with fitted luggage and an extensive
history file, which documents the car from new.
Nineteen-thirty was an exceptional year for Packards, and the
Custom Eight limousine offered here represents a unique and
superbly original chance to understand why.To view this car and
others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM
website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/hf19.
