Packard 640 Custom Eight Roadster, 1929
Packard Custom Eight
Packard Custom Eight•
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Chassis No.: 170979
Engine No.: 171117
Registration: US Title
Location: Hershey, Pennsylvania
$150,000 - $190,000 USD | Not Sold
- A beautifully proportioned and sporting Packard on the desirable Custom Eight chassis
- 384.8-cu.-in. inline-eight and three-speed transmission
- Wears a previous restoration in cream and black with green accents over green upholstery
- Rides on wire wheels, including dual sidemounts, and equipped with a spotlight, dual cowl lights, Trippe Speedlights, grille stone guard, and running board step plates
- A former AACA National First Prize winner and a CCCA Full Classic
Packard’s stellar Sixth Series made its debut in Augst 1928, and at the top of the catalogue were the 640 Custom Eight and 645 Deluxe Eight models, respectively riding on 140.5- and 145.5-inch wheelbases. Both models received the Detroit automaker’s big 384.8-cubic-inch, nine-bearing inline eight, smoothly delivering 106 horsepower via a three-speed manual transmission. This motor was more than capable of motivating the closed coupes and sedans that represented the majority of the 9,801 Sixth Series 640 Custom Eights produced—but Packard clients seeking something a bit more sporting could opt for one of the open models, including the rakish Roadster.
Delivered on 5 March 1929 to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 640 Custom Eight Roadster was previously restored in cream with black fenders. Green side décor panels and wire wheels provide a pleasing complement to the interior’s green leather upholstery. It is fitted with accessories including dual sidemounts topped with mirrors, running board step plates, a spotlight and dual cowl lights, Trippe Speedlights, a radiator stone guard, and a rear luggage rack for extended tours. Packard’s famous Goddess of Speed radiator mascot proudly leads the way forward, while the headlights are of the correct oval-bucket design—a one-year-only feature for the marque.
As indicated by a badge mounted to the stone guard, this Roadster was awarded an Antique Automobile Club of America First Junior (National First Prize) at an event in New Bern, North Carolina in September 1994. It later joined the collection of Robert L. Byers of Pennsylvania, who retained the car until his passing in 2020. In current ownership since 2024, its restoration still presents well today, with paint and brightwork showing signs of gentle aging.
Previously awarded in AACA exhibition, and rightly recognized by the Classic Car Club of America as a Full Classic, this 640 Custom Eight Roadster is a pleasing example of one of the era’s finest chassis in one of its most enticing forms.
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