1929 Packard 640 Custom Eight Roadster

Packard offered the Custom Eight in two different wheelbase lengths, the 140.5-inch Custom Eight 640 and the 145.5-inch DeLuxe Eight 645. Various body styles were offered by Packard and although the company was intent on consolidating coachwork in its own factory, a line of 'Individual Custom Line' was available with sixteen bodies from LeBaron, Rollston, and Dietrich. To further its endeavors of bringing the coachbuilding process in-house, Packard added four stories in 1929 to the building that housed body construction.

The 385 cubic-inch inline 8-cylinder engine employed a single Packard carburetor and developed 105 horsepower at 3,200 RPM. It was backed by a three-speed manual transmission and stopping power was by four-wheel drum brakes.

This particular 1929 Packard 640 Custom Eight Roadster from the Byers Collection is finished in a cream body color with black fenders and a Brewster Green accent on the doors' décor panels that matches the Brewster Green wire wheels. This roadster has a pair of optional side-mounted spare wheels, wide whitewall tires, a windshield post-mounted spotlight, Trippe Speedlight driving lights, a radiator stone guard, a rumble seat, and a rear-mounted luggage rack. The interior and rumble seat are upholstered in matching green leather. The top is tan cloth.

This Packard received a restoration some time ago. It entered the Robert L. Byers collection a little over a decade ago.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2021