1938 Packard 1600 Touring Sedan

• Body Style – 1184
• 245 CI 100  HP 6 Cyl
• Fantastic Survivor
• Great Tour Car

Words from the person I bought it from.  I am the 3rd owner of this Genuine Survivor Packard and acquired it in 1995.  This 1938 Packard 1600 has 44,000 original miles and we believe that this car has been garaged throughout its life.  The exterior, motor and drivetrain are all in original condition.  The interior was professionally re-done in grey wool to match the original interior back in 1996 and the electrical system was professionally converted to 12-volt in 2008, a very nice feature.  The original parts from the electrical conversion have been saved and accompany the car.  Seat belts were added in 1996 as well.  The bumpers were also re-chromed in 2008.  All gauges, lights and controls are in working order with the exception of the clock on the face of the glove box and the ammeter.

The Test Drive:  

This car starts easily, runs very smooth, shifts perfectly, stops as it should and is simply a joy to drive.  All gauges, with the exception of the ammeter, are working correctly.  All lights including added directionals work perfectly.  It has a working heater and defroster which is a very nice option for the cooler weather.  It is ready for use upon receipt.  A list of service items since 1995 is included.  Cosmetically, it wears its original paint, all glass is original 1938 and all rubber is original 1938.  All chrome, with the exception of the bumpers, is original. Interior was refreshed and is a pleasant place to reside.  I used this car during the fall, winter and spring months…with a working heater, is a pleasure!

History:

The car was originally purchased by the Pastor at St. Anne’s Parish in Fall River, MA.  We originally thought this was the late Father James F. Lyons, but Father Lyons was not ordained until 1943, so the car must have been ordered by Father Lyons’ predecessor.   Directional lights were added at some time before the mid-sixties and work perfectly.

In the mid-sixties, the Church wanted to renovate the Rectory and asked Dick Welshman to plumb the bathrooms with high-end fixtures.  When the Parish got the invoice for the bathroom fixtures, they asked Dick if he would take the Packard in barter exchange.  Dick and his wife Lenora drove the car infrequently and maintained it as required.  You can still see an original Texaco maintenance sticker in the door frame dating to May 26, 1972 when the car had 30,000 miles.

Dick had a fancy for restoring cars, and became most fond of Corvettes.  He started to accumulate Corvettes and would do frame-up restorations of them.  He decided in 1995 that he did not have the time nor space for the Packard and offered it for sale.  When I heard about the opportunity to own a piece of pre-war American history, I decided to purchase it.

Our kids were pretty young at the time, and we would take the car out on Sundays for ice cream and scenic rides.   With the demands of work and keeping up with family and projects around the house, I have been able to drive it mostly on weekends.  Each winter, the car is put into storage, as I have never driven the car in the winter since owning it.  In the twenty-three years that I have owned the car, we have only driven the car about 12,500 miles.  Now that our kids are off to college, and our professional careers are increasing in demands of our time, we’ve decided that it would be best to pass the car on to a new owner who can appreciate this magnificent piece of Americana.