1929 Packard Series 645 Deluxe Eight Sport Phaeton

November 9, 2023

Ken Gross

January 2024

Chassis Number: 16984

Always built to the highest standards, the Packard was unquestionably one of the finest American cars of the pre-war era. The Packard’s innovative engineering and superior build quality were soon attracting the attention of wealthy clients, with William D. Rockefeller purchasing two at the New York Automobile Show in November 1900. “Ask The Man Who Owns One” was adopted as the company’s advertising slogan.

New-for-’24, the Packard Single Eight was the company’s first 8-cylinder car and its first to employ four-wheel brakes. With the introduction of custom models in 1926, the Eight range increased dramatically. “Original Creations by Master Designers,” according to Packard, the custom offerings were bodied by Derham, Dietrich, Fleetwood, Holbrook and Judkins, among others.

Bijur chassis lubrication and hypoid final drive gears had arrived on the Eight by 1927, at which time the engine was enlarged to 6.3 liters. By now maximum power had risen to 105 horsepower, an output sufficient to propel the far-from-lightweight Eight to a top speed of 80 mph. 1929 saw Packard building 8-cylinder cars only, and marked the introduction of chrome-plated brightwork, parabolic headlamps and a dashboard-mounted water-temperature gauge in place of the preceding Motometer. Also new was the base-model 319.2-ci (5.2-liter) Standard Eight, the larger engine continuing to power the Custom and Deluxe Eights.

Carrying stunning Sport Phaeton coachwork by Dietrich, the 1929 Packard Series 645 Deluxe Eight we offer boasts engine, chassis and steering-gear numbers that are relatively close together, almost certainly indicating that these components left the factory in this car. Former owner Ken Breathauer restored the Packard to beautiful condition in the late 1980s. Following the rebuild’s completion, Ken displayed it in the Primary Division at the CCCA Washington Grand Classic in 1987, winning its Primary First. Subsequently, Tom Crook sold the car to well-known and respected Packard collector Edgar Masters, who continued to show it extensively.

Having spent some time in a prominent collection in the Midwest, the car was acquired by Richard and Linda Kughn, who cosmetically detailed the restoration and sorted out the mechanicals. They returned the Packard to CCCA competition, scoring an impressive 98.25 points in the Senior division in 2010 and a perfect 100 points in 2011, both at Michigan Grand Classics. Senior Premier status was achieved, testifying to the quality of Ken Breathauer’s work of some 20-plus years previously.

Spectacularly finished in two-tone red, the car boasts a sumptuous and well-cared-for leather interior, while other notable features include the correct wooden accents and courtesy lights in the rear compartment, together with correct tonneau hardware and other trim.

The current vendor purchased the Packard at a U.S. auction in 2016 for some $313,500. It is now U.K. registered as “BF 7820” and has been stored and used sparingly as part of his private collection since acquisition.

Bodied in exuberant style by one of the USA’s finest coachbuilders, this Deluxe Eight ranks among the most desirable open Packards of the Vintage era and represents a rare opportunity to own a concours award-winning example that still presents magnificently.

SCM Analysis

Vehicle:	1929 Packard Series 645 Deluxe Eight Sport Phaeton
Years Produced:	1929–30
Number Produced:	2,061 Deluxe Eights
SCM Valuation:	$47,000–$262,000
Tune Up Cost:	$1,000
Chassis Number Location:	Plate on firewall
Engine Number Location:	Stamped on left engine mount
Club Info:	The Packard Club; Classic Car Club of America (CCCA)
Website:	www.packardclub.org
Alternatives:	1929 Cadillac 341B Eight, 1929 Stearns-Knight J-8-90, 1929–31 Stutz SV16
Investment Grade:	B

This car, Lot 228, sold for $152,192 (£121,900), including buyer’s premium, at Bonhams Cars’ Chichester, U.K., auction on September 9, 2023.

While values for many Classics have demonstrated upward movement over time, here’s a respectable Packard that has had more of a zig-zag path.

A 1929 Series 645 Sport Phaeton, with open body by Raymond Dietrich, this car sold for $121,000 at RM Auctions’ January 2003 Arizona sale (SCM# 30274). It’s believed to have been purchased at that time by the late Dick Kughn, a noted collector who revived the Lionel model train company and amassed a fine collection. Kughn, who died in 2019, once said that vintage cars were works of art, “like a Picasso or a Rembrandt.”

Under Kughn’s ownership, he had the Packard’s 1980s-era restoration professionally detailed and the car was mechanically sorted. He won a number of prestigious CCCA awards with the car. It was subsequently sold by RM Sotheby’s at Amelia Island in 2016 for $315,500 (SCM# 271589), to the British consigner here. Seven years later, however, the car has “lost” nearly half its value.

The present market for custom-built Classics isn’t exactly tanking, so what are we to make of this sharp reversal? I think there are several factors that may have contributed to this Packard’s decline in fortune.

Slings and arrows

A check of the SCM Platinum Auction Database reveals a few comparable U.S. sales in the $150k range, so maybe the previous sale was an anomaly. At the time, we said the car was “sold well above expectations.” Perhaps the British buyer seriously wanted an American classic and stepped up because this car had an enviable concours record. This much is certain: The market for super-sized American classics in the U.K., particularly a big, left-hand-drive tourer like this, must be limited.

Without being hypercritical, this Packard demonstrates a number of Classic clichés that are simply less popular among collectors today. It’s finished in bright red, with burgundy fenders and accents, and it’s equipped with wind-wings. It’s also lathered with cowl lights, rotating Tripp spotlights, an accessory trunk, flashy chrome tire covers, plated wire wheels and whitewall tires.

Yesterday’s show car

Today’s market prefers an understated restoration style, which means a more-subdued finish, along with painted, color-matched wheels and blackwall tires. Arguably, that’s the way many cars like this appeared as the Depression’s gloom began to affect the market for gaudy, expensive cars.

Moreover, while this 1929 Packard Series 645 Dietrich Sport Phaeton is a handsome piece, it does not have the cachet of, say, a later 1934 Packard Twelve. And by 2023, despite its fine care over the years and its present-day condition, this venerable Packard has to be considered an older restoration. So, despite the cost of ocean transport, this car might have been better sold in the United States, where it would have had more appeal.

Considering its previous high watermark, we’d have to say that the buyer did well here. We’re not predicting a decline in Classic prices, but as the Brits like to say, “horses for courses,” meaning that there’s an ideal venue for everything. ♦

(Introductory description courtesy of Bonhams Cars.)

Ken Gross

Ken Gross is a Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Chief Class Judge and a founding member of the International Chief Judges’ Advisory Group (ICJAG). He served as Executive Director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, and his 15 critically acclaimed auto exhibitions have drawn record crowds at major fine-art museums nationwide. The author of 25 books, Ken has been contributing to SCM for more than three decades.