1951 Packard

Patrician Sedan

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

Gasoline

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE The 1951 Packard was very well received when it was introduced and unlike its predecessor has aged well in pubic opinion. The Patrician was the top of the Packard line in 1951. It rides on a 127” wheelbase and is powered by a 327 CID 9 main bearing straight eight producing 155hp. It has over 30 cubic feet of luggage space Packard recorded production of 7866 total cars for this model. This was the first year for this body style and in many ways the best. It rides and drives like a modern car and yet is very simple and easy to maintain with no troublesome power accessories. Power windows were an option in 1951 and most people agree that it a good thing not to have them. Even with manual steering and brakes the car is light and easy to control with the exception of trying to maneuver into a small parking place. These cars have excellent visibility and command of the road. They are exceptional tour cars. The beauty of this car is that all of the accessories that you might want, PS, PB, AC are all easily bolted on from later year models, if that is your inclination. This car has 40,000 actual miles with two owners prior to its current owner. The car is AMAZEINGLY original with plastic seat covers still on the seats and the cardboard instructions on how to operate the “new” Ultramatic transmission still on the interior sun visor. This car has been an Arkansas car its whole life and spent the last year in Hot Springs AR. It that time it has become something of a local tourist attraction, when parked between the Gangster Museum of America and The Maxwell Blade Theater of Magic, it has drawn a crowd EVERY day it was there during tourist season. Literally 100s of pictures were taken of it this summer with people beside it (we had to keep it locked or we would find people in it, thinking that it had been provided by the city as a Photo Op) It has been requested for weddings and many other VIP functions here in town. Standard features present that frequently disappear; cloisonné wheel cover medallions, movable rear seat foot hassocks, instructions for the operation of the Ultramatic. The car is well optioned with factory exterior sun visor and rear window wiper, both rare accessories, options include, anti glare day-nite mirror, accessory Packard crest sun visor mirror, Packard Bell garage door opener (non functional), duel outside mirrors, exhaust extension, windshield washers (not functional) rear window wiper, (will work with Bakelite piece replaced) curb feelers, power radio aerial, signal seeking radio, exterior sun visor, traffic finder, The body has an overall good appearance, the car has an older repaint that included a color change from the original (Teal) to black. (According to the previous owner the color change was done at original owners request at the Packard dealer). The paint could benefit substantially from buffing out. There is some checking in the paint and some flaking. The body has slight signs of rust bubbling in the right front and rear fenders, as well as one of the rocker panels, although very minor, it is worthy of note that the car is not “completely rust free” it is minimal. The chrome is overall in very good shape with a minimal amount of pitting on a couple of the door handles and the rear bumper has a bad spot approximately the size of a quarter. The front grill has a small stress crack on the right side, common to these cars. The car has the correct factory mirrors (dual) mounted incorrectly on the car, although their mounting position probably affords better visibility than the factory mounting position. All four doors open and close as a Packard should with minimal effort and the signature “bank vault click” upon closing. Overall the car is somewhat dirty on the underside consistent with a car that has been driven. The car appears to have the original shock absorbers. (I have since replaced the front with new gas charged shocks from Kanters and have the replacements for the rear which I will include) There was no apparent rust other than that mentioned previously. The interior is in exceptional condition under clear plastic seat covers that are period in appearance. The steering wheel is in exceptional condition with minimal cracking (it should be noted that these cars steering wheels are famous for their cracking). The original Wilton carpet exhibits typical shrinkage for these cars, though not excessive. There is very minor water staining on one or two of the door panels. Windows move up and down extremely smoothly. The right front vent window has a crack. All glass appears to be original with no noticeable discoloration or delamination. I have never run a compression test but the engine runs smoothly and started effortlessly. The Ultramatic shifts properly, I drive the car to speeds of 60 MPH and it exhibits no vibrations or objectionable handling characteristics. The temperature runs well within the operating range year round. This car appears to be a very well cared for evidencing covered storage for the better part of its life. Many original components are present that are frequently discarded. The worst part of the car is the paint which is perfectly presentable unless we were to consider showing the car at the concours level. This car requires minimal work and is very roadworthy as is. The low indicated miles I am sure are accurate and that being so, this car is an exceptional find. I have been as critical in my evaluation of the car as I know how, with perfect being the standard. I have kept this car as original as I can, and serviced it obsessively. It has a new set of correct 8:20 15 tires on it with aprox. 1000 miles on them (still has the original spare in the trunk). This car has that rare patina of originality that is hard to find. NADA value guide rate these cars at $14,800 Average and $32,000 High retail. Fine Print I have sold a lot of cars on eBay for a lot of people and most everyone knows my descriptions to be accurate but I always say, Please, I urge you to inspect the car for yourself and ask any questions prior to bidding. I have done my best to describe the car accurately and to the best of my knowledge but sometimes there are things that I don’t notice or don’t remember, or don’t think of as important, so look for yourself, you are buying solely on your own inspection prior to bidding. You are bidding to BUY the car, not look at it or ask your wife about it, please do that first! I can be reached by phone at 501 326 0700 during normal business hours Arkansas time. Please, no 3 AM phone calls. I can help with shipping arrangements but all costs are buyer’s responsibility. I rarely make second chance offers, I strongly suggest that if you receive an offer from me, that you confirm it by phone and through eBay’s message system. Before sending any money, be sure to talk to me at the above phone number as pictures of my cars have been used in scams in the past. Car is subject to prior sale. I require a non refundable $2000 deposit within 2 days of the close of the auction, the balance to be paid within 7days of close of auction. Wire transfer is the preferred method of payment. I will not release the car prior to receiving full payment. No personal checks or weird cashier’s checks from someplace no one ever heard of. No, I won’t take a check for more than the sale price and forward the balance to a third party in Nigeria. All funds must clear before releasing the car.