The return of Packard?

Maybe…
If the Packard marque does return, it will be as an extremely limited production vehicle.

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It fits within new laws that allow small volume builders to create cars exempt from required equipment like ABS, airbags or backup cameras. No emissions controls or crash testing either.

The 34 Packard is a great car but there are lots of them available at relatively low prices. $100K will get you a nice one.

Why not do the best of the rest and make Duesenbergs again? Only 481 built, a little over 380 survive. They start at a million dollars and go up from there. Faster, more powerful, and more luxurious.

Because…

Although they would still retain much of their value, if more were made then it would probably loose some of it’s value I would think… :man_shrugging:

They’re planning to build ‘resto-mod’ Packards, with modern drive trains. I doubt they’ll affect the value of ‘real’ Packards. Problem with doing Duesenbergs is they had performance that would be more expensive to exceed, unlike the Packard’s flathead straight eight. I’ll wait and see if anything actually comes of this. I’m just not seeing a big market, Packard fans are dying off.

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Can they build me a '55 Caribbean?

Yup, agree with this. Bentley made 12 new complete Blower Bentleys and sold all before they were done. It hasn’t affected the value of the 50 real ones. The 12 were not restomods, they replicated the engines, too.

If I were going to make Packard recreations, I’d choose the 165 hp V12 rather than the 8. More desireable, more powerful.

The Dusie’s 265 hp DOHC straight 8 is a work of art itself and the potential selling price might justify recreating it.

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Anything can be recreated! But since you can buy one for $55K, that would be a cheaper alternative.

Would you settle for a couple of nice pics in the meantime?

For the uninitiated, these cars featured Packard’s new 6.1 liter Dual 4 barrel OHV V-8 and its unique torsion bar suspension on all 4 wheels.

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They are now working with civic leaders to open a manufacturing facility. Subsidies. Tax breaks. Special financing.

Duesenbergs were reproduced in the 80s:

And Cord in the 60s:

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Scratch built Bugatti replicas have been available for a while. IIRC they are way less than the real thing.

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Most of those reproductions were fiberglass bodies over modern drive trains. If this Packard project involves handmade steel bodies, they will be VERY expensive.

I think those Bugatti kits used rear engine VW chassis.
I did see an Austin-Healey kit car that extremely well done, the only give away was the SBC under the hood.
Many Ford Cobras running around that are well done.

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There was a company that did Bugatti kits on VW but there is also a company in Argentina doing complete metal body Type 35s with reproduction Bugatti engines. Jay Leno had one on his YouTube show.

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Additionally, the Cord replicas of the '60s were only 80% the size of the original design.

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/replicar-visionary-glenn-pray-s-cord-8-10-was-ahead-of-its-time/

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I was thinking of the Pur Sang Type 35 @Mustangman mentioned.

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There are classic Ferraris hand built in Italy, some passed off as the real thing. But Packard doesn’t have that kind of market.

Classic Ferraris from the 50’s and 60’s had kinda crude tube chassis’s. Almost like a kit car. Any new car with carbon fiber tubs is very expensive

I have heard of kits like this that use modern drive trains. I seem to recall several being based on the GM 5.3L block or similar which has TONS of aftermarket parts and support. At least you have a chance of finding a part of accessory at a parts store when you need to fix something like this. Also, it is getting harder to find people willing to work on carburetors. With all the cheapo stuff from China, I found it easier to just buy a $15 replacement on Amazon and slap it on vs cleaning the carb on a mower engine. I know the carbs for cars are far more complex as well so modern EFI is the way to go for reliability and lower maintenance. I would opt for the classic car look but with more modern tech under the hood.

I hear there are new tires being made for classic cars to look old. Do these use modern tech or are they made like old tires? I know folks who were alive 50 years ago indicate tires have come a LONG LONG way from the days of old so that is something else I would want made to new standards.

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Who here has a ‘30s Packard as their dream car?