For Sale: 1956 Packard Patrician in Lutz, Florida

This 1956 Packard Patrician is a one-family-owned car. Oh yes...it's 65 years of heirloom-like care. It makes for an impressive level of a detailed presentation. So you're looking at elegance, legacy, and rarity...all for quite an obtainable price.

Packards were built under the idea that quality endures, and this one really takes that to heart. That's because while this classic is 65 years old, you will be the first one to own this car outside of the original family. The father purchased the car new, had it restored in the 1970s, and then the son has owned it since 2007. So when a car has been so well cared for, you get an impressive presentation with clean lines, a straight body, and a handsome two-tone black and white that looks like formalwear. And speaking of formal, the full brightwork package with the unique front end, mirror-like bumpers, full badging, and correct hubcaps. There's an upper-class sense of style where the full-length ribbed trim is repeated on the trim and even the tail lights. It's details like this that get lost over the years on many other cars. And we know exactly why a car like this would be a family heirloom. The Patricians are the true full Packards, and so you paid as much for this as many handsome Cadillac models. That's why there were only 3,775 examples produced in 1956, the last year Packards were produced in their own factory.

The black and white two-tone continues inside. It's quite a handsome style as it intertwines on the seats, doors, headliner, and even the steering wheel. It all has an extraordinary presentation considering this car was restored longer ago than many classics have been around. You have an impressive list of factory luxuries. The power front windows and power front seats are still working, and they left the AM radio and push-button shifter in for a full vintage display (it now utilizes the floor shifter.) There are even terrific details like the clear logo horn center cap and a cigarette holder in the front doors. And if you love the way the classic traffic light viewer looks on the dash, then you'll love all the vintage products displayed across the clean and correct trunk.

Under the hood is the correct Packard 374 cubic-inch V8. It looks great in the engine bay with its golden block, big air grabber, and polished Packard labeled valve covers. With a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust, you may expect a bit of a hot rod kind of classic. But really, this one just knows how to be a dignified and powerful gentleman in all conditions. That's why you also have a three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes with front discs. So it remains one heck of a cruising machine.

The sale comes complete with service manuals and a trunk full of period-correct goodies. This car has a terrific story that makes it a great way to share Packard's true final chapter. So if you love a premium and preserved classic of distinction, call today!