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a true bit of history?

What's your take on this rumble seat roadster from 1948 (with no windows).

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Prototype-/290913770334?ViewItem=&item=290913770334&lgeo=1&vectorid=229466&forcev4exp=true

As to the authenticity I can offer nothing, I will leave that to others to weigh in on. Maybe I did not wait long enough for all of the pictures to load but of the ones that did load I saw nothing of the mentioned front fender skirts. If it is authentic I do not think the price is to outlandish. It is a nice looking car.

I give it a .00001% chance of being a Packard prototype.

It is however an extraordinary piece of custom metal work--I particularly notice the edges of the doors--extra nicely done.

The skirts clash with the rest of the body, as does the 1953 Clipper side spear. I'd use the original fender skirts. Then I'd install the 22nd series Custom side trim but with the space between the strips sprayed matte silver. She'd look looooong and low.

That rumble seat looks like it would be a bear to get in and out of. Certainly not gracefully.

The stories these dealers make up get more and more absurd.

Listening to them in person would be a excellent study for a pysch student.

I saw one ad for a car I know intimately where the copy read "owned by well known collector ____________ ". The only well known thing about the guy was his attachment to the bottle.

Concur with assessment about getting into the rumble seat. I once was allowed to board a 1937 Packard 115C that had the correct exterior footing placements. Even with those I thought I was playing twister or hopscotch for a moment. I would not want to even attempt climbing into this car.

The disclaimer or fine print here says it all to me. The seller takes no responsibility whatsoever for what is claimed. Looks to me that this is one person's fantasy car realized. A very nice customized roadster in the end.

I thought the comment obout the "short lived run of the Bathtub design" was interesting. The step pad for the rumble seat looks to be challenging except for maybe a giraffe. It is nice a looking ride.

Rather than using a link to all the eBay photos I have attached 2 photos that represent the car. Now available for all to see and in case the eBay link goes away.

So with a quick Google search this topic came up 3 years ago here as a "California Custom" car by John Rudolph.
https://www.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=4523&viewmode=compact&order=DESC&type=&mode=0&start=0

In that thread there was this link when the car was for sale at $165,000.
http://significantcars.com/cars/1948packard3/

I have added a photo of the car with a top in place. I assume the top is not foldable, but rather a Carson-type top that clips into place.

--Roger--

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In one of the photos, where the front sheet metal has been removed, there appears to be a supercharger mounted. All other photos of the engine do not show a supercharger. Maybe doing a trial fit and decided to do something different? Regardless of claims, a good looking custom crafted Packard.

(o{}o)

This is definitely a custom job and a good one, by the looks of it. I cannot see Packard ditching the side windows and adding a rumble seat in 1948. Might as well as running boards while you're at it. The belt line reminds me a bit of a Darrin design, though I know he would never add that chrome "spear" on the side. I'd ditch the fender skirts entirely. I think it would give the car a more sporty look that way.

Instead of a rumble seat that no one can use and no side windows, if I were designing this car, I would have kept the windows and utilized the space for the rumble seat for a power assisted top that would fold down into a space covered by an integrated metal cover that would allow the lines of the car to flow unobstructed by the bulge of most retracted convertible tops. I'd use the 1963 Thunderbird convertible as a model.

These are just personal musings, nothing serious. Overall, I kind of like the car. It certainly woiuld turn heads when it drove down the street ... assuming of course it drives!