For Sale: 1938 Packard Eight in Morgantown, Pennsylvania

1938 Packard Eight 1601 Business Coupe

"Tear out these claims and make us prove them! This year, be a cynic. Say that no car could be as good as we claim the new Packard Six and Packard Eight to be. Tear out the following claims, bring them to a Packard showroom. Say, 'I dare you to make good on these statements.'" Excerpted from a print ad that contained nine detailed claims under a tear line in a clever bit of marketing.

For consignment, a 1938 Packard Eight 1601 business coupe showing 39,477 miles, but the true miles are unknown due to a title exemption. Fuel, cooling, and electrical systems have been serviced and prepared for long distance driving according to our consignor who drove the car regularly.

Exterior
A Packard in any color is going to look regal, it's just a fact of life. And there's an added elegance of one in Black, as we see here, even on the abbreviated size of the car, Packard's sportiest model for both the Eight and the Six. Where most others had long rooflines that matched the length of the hood, the business coupe rounded the rear section creating a sloping rear section with the rear fenders following suit, folding along the sides like the wings of a bird. That long hood terminates with the iconic hood ornament and tall grille flanked by torpedo shaped headlight housings while slimmer fog lights perch near the bumper. The red on the 16-inch wheels is a fantastic accent, coupled with the perfect hubcaps, trim ring, and white wall tires and spares mirror the look on both sides. There's also a red pinstripe down the side for extra color coordination. Imperfections on this sizable car include various scratches, touched up and untouched chips, some fraying of the hood lacing, light blistering, crazing, cracking and peeling paint, bowing of the wood base on the running board, and some rust bubbles in lower areas.

Interior
Tuck and roll linear designs decorate the striped gray broadcloth on the doors and only show a touch of age and the ribbed design flows to the upper section of the split bench seat which shows numerous holes. In back, what the brochure describes as "opera type" folding seats built into the rear deck" for "carrying capacity for occasional passengers" and they present in nice condition. Our banjo style steering wheel shows well earned patina on the rim and fronts a fantastic art deco instrument cluster and dashboard that includes an AM radio and clock, all showing some age but fully intact. The carpet, headliner, and lined trunk are all in good condition.

Drivetrain
The bay presents in driver quality condition and is where we find the 282ci inline 8 cylinder engine putting out an impressive 120 horsepower and fed fuel through a 2-barrel carburetor. A 3-speed manual transmission is on board and power is routed to the rear axle with 4.36 gears.

Undercarriage
Mostly clean, driver quality underneath where things are simple by today's standards. There's some light surface rust around and some residual oil, including dampness on a wheel drum and some gunk build up on the differential. There's also some holey rust on the inner rockers inside the running boards. A single exhaust runs through an elongated stock style muffler and exits via a straight pipe out back. Drum brakes are at all four wheels and suspension is composed of tightly wound coil springs up front and leaf springs in back.

Drive-Ability
Sure, it's their sporty car, but still a big car by today's standards as we follow that big hood around the test loop. The car delivers a smooth ride and with decent power for the era. We note the pops out of second gear when decelerating. The only thing not working on the inside is the clock and all other functions, including the lights and turn signals operate as they should and it's off to find a big spot inside the showroom. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.

"This is the new, longer and larger version of the car whose introduction three short years ago got the greatest reception ever accorded any new motor car," boasts the brochure about the Eight, (formerly called the 120). Packards still hold the allure of being among the best cars built in the era and we're thrilled to add another to our inventory. We hope you'll be thrilled by it too!

Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price. All prices are before state, city and county tax, tag, title and license fees. Out of state buyers are responsible for all state, county, city taxes and fees, as well as title/registration fees in the state that the vehicle will be registered. Classic Auto Mall is not responsible for errors and omissions. Please verify listings with dealer. Vehicles may require VIN verification and/or safety and emissions inspections to transfer ownership and register the vehicle in the declared state of residence. Please check with your local DMV office to ensure compliance with your states titling and registration process.

With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!