Here is an extremely rare car – it’s a 1940 Packard 180 Super 8 Club sedan, on the 127 inch wheelbase. It’s a model 1806, same as the Darrin for that year. The 180’s had a number of special features compared to the 160. The hood trim was the rich looking crosshatch vent style, and the interior was quite luxurious, with extensive use of plastic, wool broadcloth carpeting in front, and lambswool style carpeting in the rear. The Hubcaps on this car are correct for an early delivery car (Packard Ft. Worth, TX, November, 1939 ). According to a very knowledgeable Packard Authority, there were only 1,900 Packard 180’s of ALL bodystyles built in 1940. And, with the Exception of the Packard Darrin, This is the sportiest and lightest bodystyle of the 180 line.
This car has been in Southern California for a long time – there’s a photo of it posed with the 1976 Rose Parade court. that Smilin’ guy in the center is the friend of the ’40 Packard owner at the time. The car was used to Chauffer these ladies around during the Rose Parade. He told me that his girlfriend at the time was a bit annoyed that he got to ride around with all the beauty queens!
Sometime during the late 1970’s, it was sold at a MovieWorld Cars of Stars auction to Tom Sparks a well known local collector, restorer, Pebble Beach Judge and movie car rental king! The title to Tom dates from 1982, we still have a copy of that title! Those MovieWorld auctions were pretty spectacular, at the time they were the biggest sale in Southern California, and they had some very big league classics up for bid! I went to most of these auctions as a young kid, and even got hired to drive the cars through, which was a huge kick for a 15 year old kid with a learner’s permit!
We bought this car in 2011, did the valves and brakes, and then sent it to a new owner in Reno. We re-sold it for him in 2014, where it has been all this time. So this is the third time we’ve owned this great car!
This car is super solid, rust free and straight. The black paint is very nice – we think it was painted in 1992 glovebox that says it was painted in 1991, and that seems right.
Note the nice trunk rack. Also note the period correct accessory turn signals . It’s lovely in profile – note the sidemounts, the Goddess of Speed and sidemount mirrors.
This dashboard was reproduced by the Nethercutt Collection in Aluminum sometime in the 1960’s, to replace the original unstable plastic. Plastic was new in 1940, and those original dashboards cracked and warped. So, this dashboard looks very nice, the gauges are good, and all of the instruments work. The Radio and Clock, however, do not work.
There’s the Deluxe “Banjo” Steering wheel, – Beautifully restored and re-cast, with shift knob to match
It has the original wool MossTred Carpeting, which is still really nice. The seats were re-upholstered at some point. I would say the seats are ok for tour use, but might be a good target for a re-do at some point, I am not totally in love with the material that was used.
The doorpanels and headliner are totally original, and in really good shape. Note the vanity cabinet and embroidered pull strap. The Vanity has 2 mirrors, a perfume bottle, and an address book.
The engine runs great! It’s a 356 cubic inch engine, with the correct “CC” prefix for 180. It had been the subject of a thorough valve job in 2011 with all new exhaust valves. We also installed new mechanical fuel pump, new fan belt, spark plugs, and spark plug wires at the time. It runs beautifully now, with that great, even exhaust note that you hear when the engine is running on all 8 cylinders. the prior owner re-wired the car with the correct cloth backed wires, so this car is in great shape electrically.
The trunk is carpeted, with what looks like the original material. It’s also nice , solid, and rust free if you lift it up. The weatherstripping retainer lip is also nice and rust free.
It’s not a showcar, but a great looking, super rare and desirable car, a Full Classic Car Club of America Classic, Eligible for CCCA Caravans, Packard club and AACA events, ready to enjoy now!
