Rare 1948 Packard Found Mid-Restoration, Widow Seeks Help

The loss of a loved one can be very difficult to cope with. The surviving family members of a car fanatic could have an especially difficult time through the terrible experience when they do not know the projects their late loved one was working on. Recently, a widow in Kentucky was faced with this exact situation.

Two years ago, her husband passed away after a battle with cancer. Along with years of memories, adventures and joint experiences, he left her with a 1948 Packard. Looking at the car, it is easy to see the gentleman was on a mission to meticulously restore the rare car. The widow sought help to find out more about what she had and get an estimated value on what it is worth. Her searching brought her to Kentucky Classic Car Appraisals and Dan Collard.

Collard took the opportunity to view the car and help the widow. After a thorough inspection and appraisal, Collard determined that the car is nearly complete, roughly 70 percent done. The entire drivetrain and suspension is either brand new or rebuilt. The vehicle has an original Inline 8 cylinder engine and three speed manual transmission. The birch wood and body chrome are in perfect condition. “[The car has] been sitting for two years,” says Collard, “it starts right up and purrs.” The odometer is original and shows the Packard has a mere 74,000 miles on it.

Collard mentioned that Packard did a poor job of documenting their production numbers. Websites and forums dedicated to Packards believe that only a few thousand cars were made with the birch wood panels; and today, less than 100 are known to still be around.

Unfortunately death is a part of life. Hopefully the new found information on her husband’s car will help the widow with her future. Find out more on Kentucky Classic CarAppraisals at www.kyclassiccars.com and their Facebook page.