Vehicle Description
This 1929 Packard 626 Eight Runabout is a wonderful pre-war luxury
automobile that has a striking presence and that has been deemed a
Full Classic by the Classic Car Club of America qualifying it and
its next owner for CCCA events and CARavans. While Packard
officially introduced its Sixth Series cars for 1929 on August 1,
1928, America's automobile manufacturing industry kicked off the
1929 model year at the National Automobile Show on January 5, 1929,
in New York City. Packard hosted guests during the Auto Show at the
Roosevelt Hotel. Packard's event was well-attended and its new cars
were well-received. Packard's Sixth Series cars sported numerous
updates that helped modernize Packard's lineup. Perhaps the most
notable upgrade occurred to Packard's lineup wide drivetrain which
saw Packard's Straight 8 engine being used exclusively across all
of its cars, losing the Six cylinder engine. Another significant
update in 1929 was that Packard opted to utilize chrome plating,
rather than nickel plating, for its brightwork leading to a more
robust, longer lasting end product with an even more spectacular
look. With an impressive vehicle lineup, things were looking
particularly good for Packard for the first 2 or 3 financial
quarters of 1929. Sales were strong and Packard Motor Car Company
stock was performing so well that Packard issued a five to one
split. However, by October 1929 all of that optimism washed away
when the stock market crashed ushering in the worst financial
crisis in American history, the Great Depression. Although
Packard's sales had slipped a bit in '29 from its peak in 1928, its
footing atop America's luxury automobile hierarchy remained strong
with some numbers showing that approximately half of the formal
cars sold in 1929 had a Packard emblem on them. Clearly, Americans
shopping at the high-end of the luxury car market knew that
Packards were the best of the best, and that remains true even
today, just "Ask the Man Who Owns One!" This particular 1929
Packard Eight Runabout comes to us from a long-term enthusiast
owner who is believed to have stewarded the car for over 40 years
after purchasing the car from a southern-based collector. Providing
power to this '29 Packard is a 319.2 cubic inch L-Head Straight 8
engine fed by a single 2 barrel carburetor that together were said
to have created 90 horsepower when new. The 319.2 Inline 8 is mated
to a 3 speed manual transmission that is shifted using a floor
mounted shifter. The chrome trimmed radiator shell is topped with
the iconic "Flying Goddess of Speed" hood ornament and the radiator
is further protected with a Packard-trimmed rock guard. This 1929
Packard Runabout is also adorned with several lighting elements in
addition to the new for 1929 parabolic headlights including a
center-mounted driving light as well as a pair of chrome cowl
lights and a driver's side auxiliary spotlight. This '29 Packard is
further optioned with dual side-mounted wide whitewall spare tires,
each topped with a Packard "See-Rite" chrome outside mirror to help
with tricky parking situations and to further supplement touring
efforts. In the rear of this Packard Eight is a foldable luggage
rack should you take this beauty for an overnight CARavan or
cruise. Mounted above the rear license plate bracket is single
brake light assembly as was typical in this pre-war time period. A
side-opening golf club door is another period correct feature on
this Packard 8 Runabout and perhaps useful when taking this Packard
to the golf course. The beige canvas top is accented with chocolate
brown fabric trim and while showing some age, is still operational,
free of major rips or tears, and it is manually raised and lowered.
Riding on a set of wide whitewall bias-ply tires mounted on painted
Disc Wheels, this pre-war Packard has a truly upscale look. The
steel body on this 1929 Runabout Packard has been refinished in
beautiful Old Ivory paint accented with tasteful red pinstripes,
completing the exterior look of this CCCA Full Classic. The
interior of this 1929 Packard Eight Runabout exemplifies pre-war
beauty! The front bench seat and rear rumble seat have been
re-covered in beautiful Buckskin colored upholstery. The burl
woodgrain-trimmed dash, matching upholstered door panels, carpeting
and patterned floor plate, and black 4-spoke steering wheel are all
in wonderful shape and all retain a nice stock appearance as well.
This '29 Packard Eight comes equipped with full instrumentation
including a 100 MPH speedometer, amp gauge, temperature gauge, oil
pressure gauge, and fuel gauge, along with a Waltham clock. Whether
you're adding to your existing collection of Packards or you're
buying your very first classic car, this 1929 Packard 626 Eight
Runabout would make an excellent choice. Give Ellingson's a call
today at 763-428-7337!
*319.2 Cu. In. L-Head Straight 8
*Single 2 Barrel Carburetor
*3 Speed Manual Transmission
*90 Horsepower
*Wide Whitewall Tires on Wheel Discs
*Dual Side-Mounted Spare Tires
*Beige Canvas Folding Convertible Top
*Repainted Old Ivory Exterior
*Refreshed Buckskin Bench Seat & Rumble Seat
*Dual Cowl Lights/Spotlight/Single Driving Light
*Stock Instrumentation
*Odometer Reads: 99,998 Miles
