1938 Packard 1604 Super Eight Coupe

Packard introduced its Sixteenth Series models in September of 1937. Most changes for the Senior cars were cosmetic including pontoon-shaped fenders and split windshields. The Super Eight features Packard's silky-smooth 320 cubic-inch, 130-horsepower inline eight-cylinder engine, which was actually the Standard Eight engine of previous years. Packard tallied 48,682 sales for 1938, far less than 1937, but still the best showing of all independents. The market for custom coachwork was rapidly declining along with the number of luxury car makers following the stock market crash of 1929.

This car rides on the 137-inch wheelbase platform and is a unique custom-bodied Super Eight Coupe. It was delivered to the Mayfair Carriage Company in London to be fitted with this stylish and very British two-door body. Designated an export chassis by Packard, the car is equipped with both a right-hand drive and a 12-volt electrical system. The car had been ordered by a European shipping magnate. While in Europe, the car resided in Greece, Italy, Spain, and France, prior to coming to the United States. After the war, the car was sadly neglected; it was abandoned and was being used as a chicken coop. Its rescuer, an American Naval officer, brought it back to the United States, and it has since been restored to its former glory by its current owner.