1956 Packard Patrician Parked for 45 Years Is an Incredible Low-Mileage Surprise

Unfortunately, several management mistakes and the rise of the Big Three forced the company to merge with Studebaker, another independent automaker facing financial issues. The alliance proved unsuccessful, and Packard closed its plant in 1956. After two more years of offering rebadged Studebaker vehicles, the Packard marque was retired in 1959, and the name dropped entirely in 1962.

The company left a few iconic models behind, including the Eight, the Twelve, and the Caribbean. The latter is perhaps the most sought-after Packard built after WW2, unlike the Cavalier, Clipper, and Patrician, which don't get much love. But these nameplates still offered the comfort and reliability that made Packard famous.

The Patrician also stands out as the last of the "senior Packards." Launched in 1951, it remained in production through 1956. A four-door sedan rolled off the Conner Avenue assembly line in June 1956 as the last Packard-designed car. The final-generation Patrician, produced in 1955 and 1956, is also a rare classic.

Of the 84,082 vehicles Packard sold during those model years, only 12,902 were four-door Patricians. That's only 15% of the total production. The final-year 1956 version is the rarest at just 3,775 examples made. And the sedan you see here might just be the lowest-mileage all-original Patrician known to exist.

While many mid-1950s Packards were abandoned in junkyards and barns over the years, this Patrician somehow managed to soldier on for more than 60 years in remarkable condition. And with only 4,850 miles (7,805 km) on the odometer. Nope, that is not a typo. This beautiful sedan rolled on public roads for fewer than 5,000 miles in 67 years (as of 2023). That's only 70 miles (113 km) per year!

That's mainly because the vehicle was parked for about 45 years. But it wasn't locked up in a barn or forgotten in a shabby garage. This Packard was pampered its entire life. And that's precisely why it looks spotless even though there's no restoration to talk about. Additionally, every single thing works as it should on this rig.

A two-owner California car, this Patrician hides a 374-cubic-inch (6.1-liter) V8 engine under the hood. Packard's only overhead-valve V8, the 290-horsepower lump mates to a Twin-Ultramatic transmission with the one-year push-button gear selector attached to the steering wheel.

In addition to being an incredible survivor that looks like it just left the assembly line, the sedan also comes with a ton of documentation. It's exactly what you want from a car in this condition, and it turns it into a proper museum piece. The kind that could win awards at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

I know it sounds too good to be true, but you can see for yourselves in the video below.