Well, it was sold for around US$37,000 (about A$55,000) including buyer's premium. Lot of money for a non-original LHD manual car, but quite rare and in excellent condition. Will need recommissioning after sitting in a shed at the museum for some years.

I do not know who the buyer was. Perhaps they will surface in due course. Most likely local, although bidding was online.

Brian

As expected, the price of this car is heading north pre-auction. Now around US$15,500 but will undoubtedly go higher.

Spoke with Barry Smith who restored it. He did a lot of work on it. More rusty than expected. Then sold it to the Gosford Museum.

Now being sold at auction by Lloyds, the same people who ran the "closing down" auction for the Gosford Museum late last year. This one contains more of the cars stored away in sheds in the area, but by no means all. The earlier online auction run by Lloyds looked a bit dodgy - some of the cars which reportedly "sold" for silly prices have subsequently reappeared for sale elsewhere. Looks like the sales of the three Packards were kosher, though.

As usual Lloyds are talking up some of the lots in this one pre-auction, too.

The 1951 Packard 250 Convertible is a lovely example, but non-original in a number of ways. The VPN on the repro plate is apparently correct, but the original dog-eared plate has disappeared. It may have had an engine swap for a later 9-bearing engine. Barry does not recall.

Brian

Hello again Rowan

I have just been in contact with Barry Smith. Asked him about your car.

Barry never owned it. He had yet another V12 limo more than 30 years ago. Barry does not know where Max got 2107 from, but he did help with the engine rebuild. After being rebuilt in Melbourne, it was reassembled incorrectly (pistons in one bank reversed) but later fixed and apparently ran ok.

Cheers

Brian

Hello Rowan

Have you been in touch with Barry Smith in Tamworth? I believe he owned this car before Max and may have imported it. According to my notes, Barry decided against restoring it himself because it was too big a job. I think he said he helped Max with the engine rebuild etc. He said they had some problems with that and he thought the car was sold new in Chicago (don't know to whom).

Somebody asked a question about it (1235-2107) on the AACA website in May 2019, but they did not own it. Guess they saw it up for sale at Gosford.

Cheers

Brian

Hello Mal

Yes, as Flackmaster says the car looks very well restored (and no doubt is). Typical Barry job.

If the paint colour in the old pics is original it does not correspond to the paint code on the plate, which I think was a dark red metallic (code "L" - not a Ditzler colour). Ditto the interior trim, which shows a code of "207". However, it is all leather which I think was correct for the convertibles. Barry apparently changed the 327 engine for a later one, and obviously fitted wire wheels.

Leeedy can probably pronounce judgement on the convertible roof.

It's a very attractive car, and quite tempting. Guess the price will go higher as the auction progresses, though. Right now, it must be well below restoration cost.

Cheers

Brian

A nicely restored 1951 250 convertible for sale in Australia. This car is listed in the Registry on this site as having been owned and restored by Barry Smith in Tamworth. In excellent condition, LHD, manual with O/D, with a few mods such as wire wheels. Paint colour is not original. Plate looks like a reproduction. Presumably the convertible hood is new.

For sale by auction athttps://www.lloydsonline.com.au/LotDetails.aspx?smode=1&lid=2277762. Bidding currently at about US$14,000.

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Hi Rowan

Yes, the VPN number is the number on the plate for Packards. The plate is a repro but looks quite old and may have been on the car when it arrived here. If not, they probably used the TPN (Theft Proof Number - stamped on the firewall). The latter was often used as a chassis number in the US and also here. Unfortunately, the two are not related.

Maybe send the pics of both numbers and plead ignorance! Hopefully, they will check for both.

When the car was shipped to Australia, the shipper would have had to produce proof of ownership. That would usually be a US Title or Bill of Sale in the seller's (owner's) name showing the vehicle ID. But it was a long time ago so probably not traceable now.

It doesn't really matter which number shows on the Import Approval. Either will be acceptable for registration on club plates here.

Good luck with the search!

Cheers

Brian

Tim

No need to apologise. It's all true. Including the irrational behaviour in the "collector" car market. How many people over about 35 years of age can drive a car with manual transmission (stick shift)?

What has happened now is that someone asked "what's wrong with running a massive national budget deficit?". So the US government keeps on printing money and buying commercial bonds of doubtful value. Somewhere along the line, the quality of US sovereign debt will be questioned and the US$ will lose its appeal. But probably not in the tenure of many current politicians.

If you think this is crazy, take a look at the sharemarket. Strange times, indeed.

Lucky we don't have a job to lose.

Cheers

Brian

Hi Rowan

You can contact the Department of Infrastructure in Canberra and ask if they issued an Import Approval for the car. If they locate it, they will send you a copy.

Bear in mind that it's quite possible - perhaps likely -that the car was registered with the TPN number. This was often done because the plate (if it was there) was not permanently attached. Ditto for the import approval.

Good luck with the search.

Cheers

Brian

Hello Rowan

Sorry, I just read your posting and replied to your recent PM about this car.

I was imported many years ago and belonged to a guy called Max Hood. He had extensive work done on the engine by somebody else, which apparently did not go smoothly.

There are at least two of these in Australia. There are also two entries in the Registry on this site for 1238-2044, before it came to Australia. 2044 is probably one of the other cars now in Australia, which is in Adelaide. Nobody has a record of the number on your car. The plate looks to be a reproduction because the font used for the stamped numbers is incorrect (although the number could be right). There's no doubt it's a genuine 1708 V12. There are differing stories about the history of the paintwork. These may be mixed up with the records for 1238 2044. Most of these cars were originally the same dark blue, so that could easily happen. Some parts have certainly been repainted, but when I saw it at Gosford it needed doing again.

When I was trying to research the history of this car, I drew a blank. I hope you have more luck!

Cheers

Brian