An exceptional Packard Single Six fitted with a bespoke ‘Skiff’-style tourer body, exquisitely crafted by a specialist wooden boat builder and restorer and completed in 2015. This remarkable motor car was displayed at the London Concours of Elegance in 2021, has been featured in numerous leading publications including Octane, and has covered only minimal mileage since completion.
With bodywork weighing approximately 150lb – nearly 1,000lb lighter than the original coachwork – this Packard offers genuinely impressive performance for a 1920s car, combining strong power with striking agility.
The Model
Packard introduced the Single Six in 1921 as a more compact and affordable alternative to the prestigious Twin Six. Its 241.5 cu in straight-six engine was a major step forward, delivering near pre-war performance with significantly reduced weight and displacement. By the Fourth Series (1926), the introduction of the advanced Turbo-Head cylinder head, aluminium pistons and revised induction lifted output to approximately 81 bhp, alongside four-wheel braking and other modern refinements.
Skiff Coachwork
Inspired by the famous Labourdette Skiff designs – renowned for their mahogany boat-style construction with copper rivets – this car echoes the golden age of bespoke coachbuilding. Originally conceived by Carrosserie Jean-Henri Labourdette in 1912, Skiff bodies were fitted to some of the world’s finest marques including Rolls-Royce, Hispano-Suiza and Renault.
This Car
Chassis 103784 was originally supplied with sedan coachwork on the shorter Packard chassis and spent much of its life in the USA. Following fire damage earlier in its history, it presented the ideal opportunity for a sympathetic and imaginative rebirth. Imported to the UK in 2010, the car was notably complete, allowing many original Packard fittings to be retained.
The matching-numbers engine had already been rebuilt in America. During the conversion, the radiator height was reduced, steering column rake adjusted, pedals lengthened, and the suspension professionally reworked by Midlands Motor Springs to suit the dramatically lighter body.
Construction & Craftsmanship
The Skiff body was designed and built entirely from scratch using traditional boatbuilding techniques. An oak subframe, rubber-mounted to the chassis using original fixing points, supports hand-formed West African mahogany planking laid diagonally and horizontally, secured with copper boat nails and epoxy resin. The rear deck follows the same method, incorporating a concealed storage compartment and lift-off cover.
Exceptional attention was paid to material selection, including period-correct mahogany, teak flooring, sycamore detailing and new-old-stock fasteners. The body was finished with 15 coats of hand-brushed yacht varnish. A driver’s side door is fitted.
The distinctive wooden wings were painstakingly formed from solid mahogany using bespoke formers, while the custom windscreen was handmade by the vendor, drawing on skills learned during an apprenticeship at Rolls-Royce. Weather equipment features steamed ash hood sticks, and the interior is trimmed in marine-grade leather.
Finishing Touches
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Bespoke steps, brackets and fittings
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New wiring loom supplied from the USA
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Refurbished headlamps
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Newly manufactured bonnet
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Chassis finished in gloss black, bonnet in semi-gloss black
The quality of the build was recognised with the Pride of Ownership Award at the 2015 NEC Classic Motor Show.
History & Documentation
Since completion, the car has been used sparingly and remains in outstanding condition. It was later exhibited at the London Concours of Elegance 2021, generating significant interest. Featured in The Automobile, Octane and Classic Car Weekly.
Offered with:
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Extensive build photographs
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Shipping and registration documents
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Copy of New Jersey title
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Copies of publication features
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to own this exceptional vehicle.
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