1940 Packard Custom Super-8 One-Eighty

Sold for $51,700 at 2022 RM Sothebys : The Hershey Auction.
The Super 8 180 was Packard's most senior automobile. The 180 Series offered standard with dual sidemounts and a trunk rack. 1940 was also Packard's first year for the column shift transmission and the last year for the independent free standing headlamps. With a 356 cubic-inch inline eight and an overdrive transmission the Packard 180 was designed for boulevard touring and high speed road travel.

One of the unique features of the Club Sedan is twin mirrored rear-mounted vanities, each with a perfume bottle. The owner has had this automobile in his family for 35 years. The restoration was completed in 2007.

Sold for $51,700 at 2022 RM Sothebys : The Hershey Auction.
A Senior Series Model with Special Features
The Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit was America's premier automobile manufacturer during the first four decades of the 20th century. However, the post-Depression decline in ultra-luxury cars forced a refocusing that resulted in the medium-priced 1935 One-Twenty and, two years later, a Six. Then, in 1939 the mighty Twelve's were discontinued. Thus, in 1940 the new Custom Super Eight One-Eighty, offered in three wheelbases, crowned the Packard line.

This particular Custom Super Eight was a low production model characterized by its unique 'Club Sedan' cabin styling, with blind rear quarters. Most Packard 180's were 7-passenger cars built on a 148-inch wheelbase, but the 5-passenger Club Sedan had a 127-inch wheelbase, making it especially maneuverable. The luxurious interior included two rear seat vanities, each with perfume bottle and comb holder. The dual side-mount spare tires and trunk rack were optional.

The 1940 model year was the first for the massive Super Eight 356 cubic-inch engine as well as a column shift for 3-speed transmission with overdrive.