Lot details
Registration No: EU-Reg
Chassis No: See Text
Mot Expiry: None

By the end of the 1920s, Packard had arguably become the last word in American automotive fashion. Outselling rival Cadillac by three to one, its distinctive tombstone grilles graced the drives of many a business tycoon, film star and politician. Yet behind the glitz Packards remained machines of real substance, the marque recording a whole host of US car industry firsts including: the steering wheel, H-pattern gearshift, V12 engine, thermostatic engine cooling, four-wheel brakes, hypoid rear axle, air conditioning, automatic overdrive, and torsion bar-suspension. Responsible for maintaining the Detroit firm's preeminent position, the Seventh Series Packards were introduced on August 20th 1929. Visually distinguished by a more voluptuous wing line which better matched the era's prevailing Art Deco sensibility not to mention a thermostatically controlled radiator grille and subtle lighting changes, the newcomers were engineered to the same exacting standards as their predecessors.

Boasting an imposing 140.5-inch wheelbase, the Custom Eight range was powered by a 385 cu in (6.3 litre) 106hp straight-eight engine allied to four-speed manual transmission. Riding on supple leaf-sprung suspension and benefiting from four-wheel assisted mechanical drum brakes, the Model 740 allied authoritative performance to impressive refinement. Featuring a redesigned water pump and twin fan belts for improved cooling not to mention a more efficient Bijur chassis lubrication system that via its 'Pull Daily' dash control was reputed to do the work of '43 men with 43 oil cans', the Custom Eight could be had with a wide variety of open and closed coachwork. Sporting a fold-flat windscreen, retractable rumble seat, golfer's locker, high belt / low roof line, twin-blade bumpers and dual side-mounted spare wheels, the Model 740 Roadster was wonderfully rakish. Lighter and more self-indulgent than its siblings, the 2/4-seater was priced at an equally luxurious $3,190. However, even Packard could not escape the effects of The Great Depression with production totalling 28,386 cars in 1930 (some 40 percent down on previous years).

Finished in Two-Tone Red with Red upholstery and a fawn hood, this particular left-hand drive example - serial number 182119 - has formed part of the Valencia Collection for several years. Extensively refurbished from the chassis upwards by the vendor's own in-house team of restorers, it remains highly presentable. A true rival to the Rolls-Royce Phantom II and Hispano-Suiza H6B and in some ways their superior, this stunning Packard 740 Custom Eight Roadster is offered for sale with numerous restoration photographs and sundry paperwork including a Spanish Inspeccion Tecnica de Vehiculos document valid until January 2016.