This is a rare 1941 Packard Super 8 for sale. This classic Packard 160 1903 series sedan has been custom fabricated by legendary coach builder Rollston of New York, NY. This particular Rollston body is called the "High Hat" with a taller roof line to allow the driver to sit comfortably without removing his top-hat. So this rare Packard is perfect for when you hit the town in tux, tails, and top-hat! Very few Rollston Packard's were made and this 1941 Super 8 160 was one of the last. (Actually we've discovered that in September of 1938 Harry Lonschein, President of the original Rollston Company, formed Rollson Inc. after getting a commitment from Packard to help finance a small run of town car bodies. Thus this car happens to be a 1941 Packard Super Eight Rollson.)
This is the shorter Super 8 with a 127 inch wheel base, to be differentiated from the more familiar open driver town cars. Rollson engaged in traditional coach building techniques. This involved acquiring a rolling chassis, drive train, and front clip from Packard. Rollson then would custom fabricate a unique body to fit the Packard components. Rollson was an exclusive coach builder for Packard and they built very few cars.
This particular car was restored a few years back. The exterior and paint work are in overall good condition. There are some door-edge nicks and chips. The car was photographed very dusty and washing the car would help the appearance considerably. If the car doesn't sell during this auction I plan to wash the car and shoot photos in bright sunshine in a beautiful location. If you are lucky enough to win the auction prior to this you can most likely get the car at a better price.
As you will hear in the videos below, the car runs quietly and the motor sounds smooth. The car hadn't been started all winter and prior to the photo shoot we installed a new 6 volt battery and the car started up just fine. (Update) I took the car for a test drive. The Packard starts up and runs really well. The front springs are noticeably warn and will need some attention. There are some spacers that have been placed in the springs to help support the front end but this is just a temporary fix. The front, passenger side wheel rubs a bit on the fender when turned sharply to the right because of the worn springs. The buy-it-now price has been reduced from $48,500 down to the current buy-it-now price to account for the needed repair. The car shifts through the gears nicely and it rides down the road comfortably. It was a real pleasure to drive. The tall windows make for a very scenic and pleasant riding experience.
The interior was completely redone when the car was restored. The headliner and seats are in good condition. The carpet is dirty though we did not vacuum the car prior to our photo shoot. The door panels have also been replaced but some of them are showing wear toward the bottom. The window crank on the driver's side is missing, though I didn't search the trunk to see if this piece is included. The car is being stored at a warehouse and we only had just over an hour with the car so I apologize that I wasn't able to be more thorough with my inspection.
The body of the car is in great shape. The undercarriage looks very solid and everything appears to be structurally sound. The paint was laid down very nicely, and the body work was done to a professional level. I noticed one small ding on the rear trunk that wasn't perfectly flat. There isn't paint damage but this is the one spot I found on the car that wasn't perfectly straight/flat. I photographed this area and it can be viewed in the close-up photo gallery via the link below. Otherwise the car is very straight and very solid.
Feel free to ask any questions you may have prior to bidding and I will do my best to get you the information you need. Be sure to watch the videos of the car running, and spend some time with the two photo galleries so you'll get a very good feel for the condition of the car. Thank you for checking out my auction, and good luck winning the auction on this beautiful Packard!
1941 Packard Super 8 Body Gallery | 1941 Packard Super 8 Close-Up Gallery |