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1938 Packard 1601 Eight Cabriolet

Swiss coachbuilder Graber bodied this American Packard chassis. The car was originally sold and titled in Switzerland and it was evidently used very rarely. Road conditions and tax considerations led to the frequent use of Packard's shorter chassis for European custom body creations. This cabriolet is built on a 127-inch wheelbase Packard Eight chassis. It received Marchal headlamps and is powered by the 257 cubic-inch straight-eight engine developed for Packard's very successful One Twenty series.

First shown at the Geneva Auto Salon in 1938, this is one of just two or three Packards that were bodied by Graber along with three Duesenbergs. This Packard was a real barn find in the early 1990s, but it took the owner the best part of two decades to convince its reluctant owner to sell. It had spent all its life in Switzerland but the car had not been on the road since the 1950s. At that time the car was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Messerli. At some point, Mr. Messerli was taken ill, and his wife put the car away for safekeeping in a garage in Switzerland. The new owner of the car and the Graber Coachbuilding name bought the car in 2009 and after a little mechanical work, the car runs like new again.

Prior to these events, the car had not been on the road since the late 1940s. The car was researched and restored by Automotive restoration in Lebanon, New Jersey.

No auction information available for this vehicle at this time.

1938 Packard 1601 Eight Auction Sales

Recent Sales of the Packard 1601 Eight

(Data based on Model Year 1938 sales)
1938 PACKARD EIGHT ONE-TWENTY CONVERTIBLE VICTORIA
Chassis#: A320460B
Sold for USD$128,800
  2023 Gooding & Company : Pebble Beach
1938 Packard 1601 Eight image  1938 Packard 1601 Eight image  
1938 Packard Eight All-Weather Brougham
Chassis#: A310934A
Sold for USD$50,400
  2021 Worldwide Auctioneers : The 14th Annual Auburn Auction
 
1938 Packard Eight Convertible Coupe
Sold for USD$48,400
  2020 RM Sothebys : Open Roads, Fall
 
1938 Packard Eight Convertible Sedan
Sold for USD$8,250
  2019 Mecum : Chicago
 
1938 Packard Eight Convertible Coupe
Sold for USD$33,000
  2019 RM Auctions : Auburn Fall
 
1938 Packard Eight Convertible Coupe
Chassis#: 11993217
Sold for USD$33,000
  2019 Auburn Spring : RM Auctions
 
1938 Packard 8 Sedan
Sold for USD$24,750
  2017 Russo & Steele : Scottsdale Az
 
1938 PACKARD 1601 4-DOOR TOURING SEDAN
Chassis#: 119216074
Sold for USD$29,700
  2016 Barrett-Jackson : Las Vegas
 
1938 Packard Eight Convertible Sedan
Sold for USD$65,250
  2016 RM Sotheby's : Hershey
1938 Packard 1601 Eight image  1938 Packard 1601 Eight image  
1938 Packard One-Twenty Straight Eight
Chassis#: 482547
Sold for USD$24,276
  2015 Barons Auction : Annual Yuletide Classic
 
1938 Packard Eight Cabriolet by Graber
Chassis#: 1601-2039
Sold for USD$1,760,000
  2015 RM Sotheby's : The Andrews Collection
 
1938 Packard Eight Brewster Limousine
Sold for USD$40,000
  2015 Mecum - Rogers'Classic Car Museum 2015
 
1938 Packard Eight cabriolet
Sold for USD$33,944
  2015 Rétromobile by Artcurial Motorcars
 
1938 Packard Eight All-Weather Panel Brougham
Sold for USD$77,000
  2012 Gooding and Company - Pebble Beach Auction
1938 Packard 1601 Eight image  1938 Packard 1601 Eight image  
1938 Packard Eight Series 1601 Club Coupé
Chassis#: B312824A
Sold for USD$18,495
  2012 Aalholm Automobile Collection
 
1938 Packard Eight Convertible Victoria
Chassis#: A309389
Sold for USD$269,500
  2010 RM Auctions - Sports & Classics of Monterey
1938 Packard 1601 Eight image  1938 Packard 1601 Eight image  
1938 Packard Eight Convertible Sedan
Chassis#: A313050
Sold for USD$60,500
  2010 RM Auctions - Vintage Motor Cars of Meadow Brook
 
1938 Packard 1601 Eight Sedan
Chassis#: 424761
Sold for USD$29,430
  2009 Shannons Auctions - 2009 Shannons Classic Vehicle Auction at MotorEx
 
1938 Packard Eight Convertible Victoria
Chassis#: A309389
Sold for USD$282,000
  2009 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia
1938 Packard 1601 Eight image  1938 Packard 1601 Eight image  
1938 Packard Eight Convertible Coupe
Chassis#: 11992325
Sold for USD$93,500
  2008 RM Auctions - Automobiles of Arizona
 

Packard 1601 Eights That Failed To Sell At Auction

1938 Packard 1601 Eight's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
VehicleChassisEventHigh BidEst. LowEst. High
1938 PACKARD 120 CUSTOM CONVERTIBLEWA982538832022 BarrettJackson : Scottsdale, Arizona   
1938 Packard Eight Touring Sedan 2018 Mecum : Kansas City$24,000  
1938 Packard 120 2016 Carlisle Auctions : Lakeland Winter Auction   
1938 PACKARD EIGHT CONVERTIBLE COUPE 2011 Auctions America Spring Auburn$80,000  
1938 PACKARD EIGHT CONVERTIBLE COUPE 2011 Auctions America Fort Lauderdale$72,500  
1938 Packard Darrin Convertible 2010 Bonhams Greenwich Concours d'EleganceCollectors' Motorcars $225,000$275,000
1938 PACKARD MODEL 1601 FOUR DOOR SEDAN 2002 Kruse Auction Tulsa, OK$8,000  
1938 PACKARD MODEL 8 TOURING SEDAN 2001 Kruse Auction Tulsa, OK$30,000  

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1938 Packard 1601 Eight

Additional valuation insight and sales data
History
Specifications
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Other Packard 1601 Eight model years

1938 Packard 1601 Eight Vehicle Profiles

1938 Packard 1601 Eight vehicle information
Convertible Victoria
Coachwork: Darrin
Chassis #: A320460B
1938 Packard 1601 Eight vehicle information
All-Weather Panel Brougham
Coachwork: Rollston & Company
Engine #: 310934
1938 Packard 1601 Eight vehicle information
Cabriolet
Designer: Graber
1938 Packard 1601 Eight vehicle information
Convertible Victoria
Coachwork: Darrin
Chassis #: A309389
Engine #: C325338D

Vehicle information, history, and specifications from concept to production.