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I have asked many this question but just got an answer from Mike at KM Lifestyle Manufacturing that sounds right.

I was looking for a fuel sender and an ignition coil..it appears they manufacture them! Anyway, I asked about the armored cable and he told me it was an anti-theft device.

The armored cable made it difficult to short the wiring to get the car started as the hot wire to the coil was inaccessible.

They began to do this in the 30's and it made sense as the Senior models were VERY expensive for the time.

They quoted me a price of $175 for the coil and $145 for the fuel sender. I will order the fuel sender as soon as he confirms it will fit my car.

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I believe there is some Packard literature or ads that say essentially the same thing about the armored cable. It was a theft deterrent.

Nice that there are new (not NOS) coils available but is there another part to the one you show? What kind of clamp or bracket is used to fasten to the firewall and does it keep the stock Clipper look and mounting holes?

Theft-deterrent, plain and simple. Same as with the transmission and steering column locks that others employed.
Without the armoured coil feed and with underhood access you could hot-wire a car and be on the road in 15 seconds.

I could use that coil, I had snagged the Armored Cable on eBay a couple of years ago and plan on installing soon.
Wes

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I do not know if he offers the bracket. But, they claim they can make anything.
Pic is of my coil and mounting bracket.

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Update on Coil armored cable. Mike at KM Lifestyles MFG said they rebuild the armored cable from the ignition switch to the coil cap. Cost is $215.

The coils, are new manufactured.

For what it is worth-brackets are for sale on ebay that allows you to use a generic coil. You have or run small wire to back of coil to connect to the armored cable.

The old style universal firewall brackes to mount a modern coil would work well for the KM lifestyle coil which has the terminal on the back and a place for the armored cable to mount so there is no strain on the wire. Unfortunately they seem to be another item no longer made today and are hit and miss on ebay.

What I don't like about the old style universal brackets that I have seen so far is there is no provision to accommodate the extended length of power wire thru to the coil front terminal. There have been several photos of the installed brackets showing the wire squeezed between the coil and the opening in the firewall and thru a small gap in the bracket where the screw tightens the bracket around the coil. Wires were not protected from vibration and in one case the insulation even looked seriously pinched. IMO, wires without some kind of grommet via an extra hole or at least some extra tape or a layer or two of heat shrink where it passes thru metal are shorts waiting to happen.

No doubt...and create gremlins which awake in the night and bite our backsides ... usually when on tour!!