1924 Packard Single Eight Runabout

This 1924 Packard Single Eight Runabout was delivered new by Southern California dealer Earle C. Anthony. It is believed that the drivetrain was updated for the original Santa Barbara owner with the present, 14th Series Super Eight engine and matching transmission and clutch. The work is believed to have been done in 1936. The top, windshield, headlights, and wheels were updated as well, along with the bumpers, which are Ford Model A units. The 150 horsepower engine is backed by a fully synchromesh gearbox, and it is this arrangement that attracted William B. Ruger Jr., the car's current owner.

The car came out of the estate of the original owner in Santa Barbara around 1990 and subsequently passed to Ted Leonard. Mr. Ruger acquired it after the Leonard Collection was sold, and commissioned a full restoration by Chris Charlton of Classic Car Services in Oxford, Maine. It is finished in a combination of Chicory Green with black fenders and beltline, red striping, dark brown leather upholstery, a beige cloth top with matching boot, and green steel wheels shod in blackwall tires. There is a rear-mounted spare, and turn signals have been added for safety in modern driving. Underneath, a correct replacement engine block and new aluminum cylinder head were fitted, along with upgraded gears in the rear axle.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020