Packard Super Eight Coupe Roadster

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Founded at the dawn of the motoring age, Packard aimed its magnificent machines right at the top of the market, selling to the rich and famous alongside marques such as Duesenberg and Pierce Arrow.

The world over, the name Packard meant prestige, power and sophistication. Such was their reputation that during WW2 they manufactured the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine under licence, the only company allowed to do so outside of Rolls-Royce themselves.

With the demise of the Twin Six 7-litre V12, the Super Eight became Packard's flagship model of the late 1930s and although the Depression had severely hit the market for multi-cylinder luxury cars, a proportion of the American elite still felt able to treat themselves to the wonderful Super, even though it was three times the price of the Standard Eight. Powered by an excellent 5.3-litre straight-eight with a three-speed synchromesh gearbox and vacuum servo hydraulic brakes, it had prodigious top gear performance and with 160bhp on tap it was good for over 80mph.

All 1938 Super Eights are uncommon and the convertible coupe roadster on offer here was, in any case, always an unusual choice so this factory right-hand drive version is very special indeed - it is doubtful whether another exists. Packard only introduced independent front suspension in 1937 and the change made for a vast improvement in handling. Coupled to the remarkable performance, it makes the car a delight to drive.

Little is known of the early history of the car, but it was built in Canada and was reputedly first owned by a British nobleman. A buff logbook shows that it was then acquired by the Scottish entertainer Andy Stewart, famous for his heather-encrusted New Year's Eve TV shows of the 1960s, from whom Mr RD Robinson acquired it in 1969. An American gentleman, Mr Robinson retained the car until his death in 2010, having it maintained by a Virginian engineer, Al Morkunas, who converted it to take a modern cartridge oil filter and also accompanied Mr Robertson on many long distance rallies.

The history file contains a large number of bills documenting the works carried out during Mr Robertson's 40-year ownership. Coachwork is finished in Ocean Blue which suits the car very well, with a buff leather interior. Robertson had dickey seats added to the rear luggage compartment but these were removed by the next owner and it was returned to its original luggage carrying trim. He successfully completed a 1,350 mile tour of the South of France, remarking that he was amazed at the car's torquey ability to negotiate the scores of roundabouts that litter the roads of France in top gear. One of the most charming features of the car is its wonderful Art Deco dash with all correct instrumentation including a delightfully elaborate clock, and the imposing Marchal headlamps rather than the somewhat ugly Packard pod lamps.

Our vendor acquired the car via a Coys auction in 2014 (where it was estimated at £70k - £80k although he managed to secure it for under this amount) and then took it to the Republic of Ireland where it has remained ever since. Shown and driven regularly in the first years of his ownership, it was treated to a brake overhaul with new 12" front shoes and new rear road springs supplied by the Detroit Spring Co in America. Kept in heated, dehumidified storage and used only very sparingly in recent times, it remains in good condition and comes with two box files of historical documentation.

Only reluctantly for sale due to relocation to Portugal which imposes a hefty tax on imported vehicles, this exceedingly rare and luxurious machine oozes Gatsby-esque class, is sure to attract admiring glances wherever it goes, and is being offered here at a very modest guide price  - check out how much these cars make in America!

Please note that this car is on Irish plates but the former UK number, 827 YUL, is still linked to the vehicle and re-registering it here should be straightforward using the usual channels.

PS: This car has now arrived on site and we can confirm that it runs beautifully with remarkably light steering, a lovely gearchange and an engine that is so sweet you can barely tell if it is running or not. What a quality car - no wonder millionaires loved it!