# The return of Packard? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [December 10, 2023, 2:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982 "2023-12-10T02:09:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 2:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/1 "2023-12-10T02:09:08Z")
Maybe… If the Packard marque does return, it will be as an _extremely limited_ production vehicle. > **[Packard Motors gets ready to build its new ‘old’ cars to order](https://www.cleveland.com/community/2023/12/packard-motors-gets-ready-to-build-its-newold-cars-to-order.html?outputType=amp&fbclid=IwAR3vt3yhiERJMmrolvjCsi8JB-JtcrZpMflIzSWoblG8GVIGzK2fkSQlhqc)** > > A new showroom in Medina starts the process of bringing the classic Packard back to drivers. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 2:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/2 "2023-12-10T02:54:04Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 3:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/3 "2023-12-10T03:06:48Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > Why not do the best of the rest and make Duesenbergs again? Because… > [@Mustangman](#): > > 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. 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… 🤷‍♂️ ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 3:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/4 "2023-12-10T03:23:10Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 3:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/5 "2023-12-10T03:39:59Z")
Can they build me a '55 Caribbean? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 12:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/6 "2023-12-10T12:48:44Z")
> [@texases](#): > > doubt they’ll affect the value of ‘real’ Packards 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. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 12:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/7 "2023-12-10T12:51:51Z")
> [@old\_mopar\_guy](#): > > Can they build me a '55 Caribbean Anything can be recreated! But since you can buy one for $55K, that would be a cheaper alternative. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 1:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/8 "2023-12-10T13:20:41Z")
Would you settle for a couple of nice pics in the meantime? ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/d/b/db0b0258f9d5858ae6e0c6a3a882eaeaf0ad461a.jpeg) ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/5/c/5cdd0dcab90c160419cc234ce1c5f4bce1caef77.jpeg) 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. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 1:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/9 "2023-12-10T13:23:48Z")
They are now working with civic leaders to open a manufacturing facility. Subsidies. Tax breaks. Special financing. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 2:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/10 "2023-12-10T14:47:43Z")
Duesenbergs were reproduced in the 80s: ![IMG_2361](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/a/8/a86ec2ced30472e20810f1a02823df3515f62a88.jpeg) And Cord in the 60s: ![IMG_2362](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/b/5/b5d9dd9c648b7b88d2493b0d44cc3bacf6b26a61.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 3:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/11 "2023-12-10T15:07:23Z")
Scratch built Bugatti replicas have been available for a while. IIRC they are way less than the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 3:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/12 "2023-12-10T15:26:06Z")
Most of those reproductions were fiberglass bodies over modern drive trains. If this Packard project involves handmade steel bodies, they will be VERY expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 3:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/13 "2023-12-10T15:39:11Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 3:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/14 "2023-12-10T15:52:24Z")
> [@Purebred](#): > > I think those Bugatti kits used rear engine VW chassis. 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. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/15 "2023-12-10T15:56:13Z")
> [@texases](#): > > Most of those reproductions were fiberglass bodies over modern drive trains 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/](https://www.hemmings.com/stories/replicar-visionary-glenn-pray-s-cord-8-10-was-ahead-of-its-time/) ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 4:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/16 "2023-12-10T16:56:51Z")
I was thinking of the Pur Sang Type 35 @Mustangman mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/17 "2023-12-10T17:25:44Z")
There are classic Ferraris hand built in Italy, some passed off as the real thing. But Packard doesn’t have that kind of market. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 8:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/18 "2023-12-10T20:48:07Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![cwatkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@cwatkin](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cwatkin)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/19 "2023-12-10T22:14:40Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2023, 10:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982/20 "2023-12-10T22:35:43Z")
Who here has a ‘30s Packard as their dream car? [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/the-return-of-packard/193982.md?page=2)