The 1958 model year was the last for Packard and the seller of our Pick of the Day notes that only 675 of these coupes were produced.
According to the seller, who placed an advertisement for the car on ClassicCars.com, this 1958 Packard coupe is from South Dakota and is all original except for its 289 cid engine, which came from a 1964 Studebaker Lark.
That’s not a surprise since Studebaker owned Packard and at the end of the line; the proud Packards were basically slightly modified Studebakers.
Not only is this ’58 Packard hardtop coupe rare, it comes with a history of single-family ownership.
“It has been in the same family for 45 years,” the advertisement notes. “My dad was a huge Packard enthusiast with multiple cars. He died in 2005 and my sister got the car. She died in 2014 and I got the car. I’m not a big Packard enthusiast so I’d like to find it a good home.”
According to the ad, the car has had a recent tune-up, and has new brakes and new stainless exhaust.
The seller notes that the interior needs “some TLC” and includes a photo showing the wear on the driver’s side of the front bench seat. The ad also points out that there is a “slight’ leak in the seal between the engine and transmission.
The ad says the odometer reads 45,000 miles and that the car is unrestored condition with a good exterior and fair interior. The car is equipped with an AM radio, power brakes and steering. The engine is running and linked to an automatic transmission.
A dozen photos show a seemingly immaculate exterior in a maroon color with silver trim and gleaming chrome.
“My dad took great care of the car,” he adds, “but my sister’s family let it sit in the elements.”
Asking price on the car, which is located in Guttenburg, Iowa, is $12,000.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
A great looking car, especially from the side view. At this point it doesn’t make any difference, but didn’t Packard buy Studebaker?
Studebaker gutted Packard after Nance died.
great body style and great looking as a Packard or Studebaker… do look rather dodge/plymouth “forward look” … would buy one
The 58 Packard is so damn ugly, I have to have it. Price seems right. I have only seen 3 of these, and I lived a block and a half from Gene’s Studebaker Packard Dealer Ship on the banks of the Chena River, Fairbanks, Alaska. Uncle Perry who owned the butcher shop kitty-corner from Gene’s always bought Studies. He deviated once and bought a 48 Ford Deluxe 4-door, and he and family headed North from either Portland or Detroit, followed by our family in out new Hudson Commodore- the fastest American Sedan of the era. That trip The Hudson had to pull the Ford most of the way. I just would not run, I remember watching Perry outside most of the trip attending to the Ford. He was hot, but the Ford was not.
Yes Packard bought up Studebaker in 1954, but Studebaker had LIED to Packard and was very much in debt. Packard had to pay off all the debts which left them at a break even point and no real cash to continue building the packard and put out a new model too. So . Packard made the decision to close the Detroit office and line and move every thing to South Bend and Studebaker plant. Unfortunately Studebaker plant was not able to build a large car like the packard. Hence the Smaller President line from Studebaker was used with modifications to the head lights, Interior, V8 and Auto trans as standard. The public did not like it, and only a few Thousand cars were put out as Packards. They were actually nick named Packardbakers. Or Studepackers. Both an insult to such a one time great car. In 57 they had the Wagon, coupe, sedan and business coupe also I think. In 58 they improved the design with quad headlights, padded dash and still a total Packard interior. But limited to just two model lines. in 59 they made just a hand full from left over parts and stopped production totally. Studebaker CEO and board by this time had taken over and kicked most all of the Packard executives off the board. In 1962 Packard name was dropped totally, and it was again just Studebaker, just like they did to Pierce Arrow years earlier. They destroyed a great Car, A great Name, and you can no longer ask the man who owns ( a new) one.
Oh and please correct me if I am wrong on any of the above. Thanks.
Packard took a lot of criticism about the styling of the 1957-58 models but if you look at some of the other cars styling in the same years they actually look as good or better than most of them. Examples some unusual styling were Edsel, Hudson, Nash, Desoto, Buick, Olds etc. Also Packard took a lot of heat for sharing a platform with Studebaker when practically all of the other car companies did the same thing at the time and still do, for example the Chevrolet and Pontiacs, Olds and Buick, Ford and Mercury, etc. Its just that a lot of people are afraid to try something different and unique and tend to be easily swayed by overly negative reviews in car magazines.
I also owned this model ’58 Packard 2dr hardtop. Mine was also the maroon color of this one and had power windows. As to the ’57 model line up: 4 dr sedan, 4 dr station wagon. ’58 model line up: 4 dr sedan, 4 dr station wagon (157 produced), 2 dr hard top, Packard Hawk 2 dr hardtop.
Just to add, 1958 Packard production ended in July 1958. The ’57 Packard was called the Packard Clipper as a nod to that well known Packard model line. The ’58’s were just called Packard.
Well, I don’t know about the rest of you; but I have a problem with the description as a 1958 Packard Coupe. It’s not….period. Studebaker coupes have B pillars. Without the B-pillars they are called hardtops and the only model designations for 1958, as has been said above, were the Packard Four Door Sedan, the Packard Wagon, the Packard Hardtop and the Packard Hawk.
If I had crazy lottery money I would buy this hardtop, have a body shop remove the add on fins, get a 57 Packard front clip and then look for a 1956 golden Hawk driveline with a manual overdrive transmission. The ’56 Hawk had a 352 cube real Packard V8. I bet a 64 Studebaker Lark Daytona bucket seat interior would drop right in. Oh to have play money.