1936 Packard 1401 Eight Coupe Roadster

West Coast Classics are proud to present this very rare senior Packard, a 1936 1401 Eight Coupe Roadster on which Packard built its reputation for smooth and luxurious straight-eight power, formal elegance, and with the desirable open-body that Packards from the companys Fourteenth Series became legendary for with its appeal going way beyond raw speed or flash. It is about exact proportions, superb craftsmanship, and how a senior Packard from this era combines both long-wheelbase luxury with the unique rarity in open top form to set it apart from the sedans that carried much of the brands production volume. Chassis No: 392685Engine No: [Insert Engine Number]Body Style: Coupe Roadster (Style No. 902)Engine: 320 Cu. In. L-Head Straight-Eight / 130 BHPTransmission: 3-Speed Synchromesh Manual Yellow exterior Beige convertible top Red leather interior Inlay wood dash In-dash clock Rumble seat Goddess of Speed mascot Cellular radiator Accelerator linkage Trippe lights Spotlight Coil springs Fold-up luggage rack Painted wire wheels with bright trim rings and centers Wide Whitewall tires Dual side-mount spares with metal cases and accessory lamps Pre-war American luxury cars remain a specialized niche amongst the most discerning of collectors with well-presented senior Packards like this example continuing to attract serious interest due to their offerings of real historical weight, unmistakable styling, and a direct connection to one of the obviously preeminent names of the Classic Era.The 1936 model year belonged to Packards Fourteenth Series, a period when the company was expanding its reach with the junior One-Twenty, while still preserving its more traditional senior cars. The 1401 sat in that senior Eight family, positioned above the high-volume One-Twenty and built on the 134-inch wheelbase chassis that helped give these cars their stately proportions.Under the hood, the 1401 Eight used Packards 320-cubic-inch L-head straight-eight rated at 130 horsepower matched to a 3-speed manual transmission.Production helps explain the models collector appeal today. Packard built 61,027 cars for 1936, but only 3,973 were from the 1401 Eight series, making any surviving senior-series open car a much rarer sight than the companys junior models from the same year.But its this rare and desirable Coupe Roadster body that makes this senior Packard so collectible and rare. Packard identifies the 1936 1401 Coupe Roadster as body style No. 919, a useful reminder that this was a specific and relatively exclusive configuration within the wider Eight range rather than just another open Packard from the period with Packards tall upright grille and long hood stretched over the straight-eight, flowing separate fenders, broad running boards, and a compact open cabin that gives the whole car a more sporting silhouette than the formal sedans in the same family.Its that understated approach that was part of the attraction as Packard did not need exaggerated ornament or outsized performance claims to make an impression, the proportions and sheer presence of the car said it all.Interest in senior pre-war Packards is clearly the strongest with the open cars sitting at the top of that hierarchy compared to the more common closed-body Packards of the era.Sales are rare, a most recent result showing one 1936 Packard Eight 1401 recording a $165,000 sale in 2021.Collectors who follow high-end American pre-war cars closely will note that this senior Packard open car has the ultimate appeal with a sharply defined place amongst the classic era of American design, and one that captures Packard at its most graceful. The Pinnacle of Fourteenth Series Senior Luxury Packard remained the undisputed benchmark of American luxury in 1936, and senior models like the 1401 Eight Coupe Roadster perfectly illustrate why the brand dominated the premium market. Long before postwar tailfins and V-8 horsepower wars reshaped automotive design, Packard built its legendary