Packard Single Six Tourer 1922

Vintage and Prestige are proud to offer this 1922 Packard "First Series" Single Six Tourer For Sale.

The Packard is a 1922 "First Series" Single Six Tourer and an original RHD model, having been sold new to a large scale farmer in the Adelaide region of Australia. This farmer also held the contract to transport mail from Adelaide to Broken Hill and for a number of years he personally made that journey regularly in the Packard. Later in life, when the car was "retired", he refused to sell it and it remained in a barn until his death, after which his family finally sold the car.

It was acquired by a vintage car enthusiast, who also owned a restoration shop in Australia and the Packard received a comprehensive "ground-up" restoration to a very high standard of finish to the body and re-upholstered interior. This second owner exhibited the car at local car shows for several years and subsequently sold the car by auction.

The next owner was a Manchester-based lawyer, who collected exotic vintage cars. It remained in his collection for a short period until it had to be sold upon his divorce.

The previous owner purchased the Packard at this time. All was well for a while, until the car began to consume water and lose power. Investigation showed that the car had an apparently long term cracked block which was considered very difficult to repair and it was decided to source a suitable replacement block or engine.

Two appropriate period Packard engines were found in storage in South Australia and were duly purchased and shipped back to England. At this time it was decided to commission a full professional reconditioning of one of these engines as a replacement for the original.

This work was carried out by the well-known specialists Skyreholme Technologies. The engine was completely stripped and re-built to a high standard. Work included re-metalling of the 7 main and 6 rod bearings by specialists David White Power Factors of Ormskirk. The crankshaft was re-ground. New small-end bushes were fabricated and fitted with a set of 6 new pistons installed.

Valve seats were re-cut and valves were lapped-in, camshaft and bearings were checked and found to be in excellent condition. the cylinders were re-bored. The block and cylinder head were surface-machined and crack-tested.

The instruction to Skyreholme Technologies was to check and rectify any fault which could be found with the replacement engine and to re-build it to as near to new standard as could be achieved, before fitting it into the Packard. A new radiator core has been fitted and the original vacuum tank fuel system has been upgraded to an SU electric pump for uninterrupted hill-climbing performance.

The result is a car which runs and performs as it should and it has now covered about 1500 miles since the replacement engine was fitted, during which it has been a pleasure to drive. The Packard sits on the original Rudge-Whitworth "Buffalo" spoked wheels, shod with excellent tyres.

The car presents very well and is a very smart, lightly-patinated restoration, which, in 2017, was judged second in class at the prestigious and extensive Newby Hall car show, by the Judge - the well-known vintage car expert Bernard Williamson.

Included with the Packard are the original unrestored engine, parts of a further spare engine and the original Stewart vacuum fuel tank.