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Rare 1950 Packard Was Left to Rot for 40 Years, Now It's Driving Again

One of the very few luxury automakers that survived the Great Depression, Packard eventually disappeared in 1959, five years after its merger with Studebaker. The company left a few iconic vehicles behind, but sadly enough, many of them have been abandoned in junkyards. This 1950 Super Eight is one of the lucky ones that got saved.
1950 Packard Super Eight barn find 6 photos
Photo: Travis Blades/YouTube
1950 Packard Super Eight barn find1950 Packard Super Eight barn find1950 Packard Super Eight barn find1950 Packard Super Eight barn find1950 Packard Super Eight barn find
This old Packard emerged in November 2021, when YouTube's Travis Blades bought it from a guy who parked it sometime in the early 1980s. But even though it's been sitting for 40 years, the car was in surprisingly good condition, and a thorough cleaning revealed that it didn't have major rust issues.

What's more, Travis and his dad managed to revive the straight-eight engine, which agreed to run with the original spark plug wires. One month and a few more repairs later, and the Packard took its first trip in four decades.

And that's really amazing, given that most engines need a rebuild after sitting for so long. The same goes for the three-speed original transmission, which, shockingly enough, seems to work fine. Granted, the car is a bit rattly inside the cabin, but it's a solid restoration project. One of those classics you can look at when you hear someone say that "they don't make them like they used to."

While not as rare and desirable as the Packard Twelves from the 1930s, the Super Eight is an exotic appearance among other nameplates from the late 1940s and early 1950s. Mostly due to its quirky design, but also because it had a luxurious interior.

The Packard Eight was first introduced in 1924 when the Detroit-based company debuted its first eight-cylinder engine. The Super Eight arrived in 1933 and was downsized in 1937. The nameplate was offered with various design changes until 1951.

The full-size was redesigned one last time in 1948 when it adopted the modern styling with integrated fenders that all American automakers switched to after World War 2. That's when Packard also introduced the rather unusual chrome grille that stretched over the entire width of the front fascia.

Before you hit the play button below to watch the Packard stretch its wheels for the first time in 40 years, I'm going to use the opportunity to say how much I love cars with visors atop the windshield. Yup, I'm one of those weirdos.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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