With the exception of Rolls-Royce, few luxury automobiles have enjoyed as much worldwide popularity as Packard Motor Car Company did at its prime. The company enjoyed a booming export business, including, of course, in Canada. By the mid-1930s, new Packards were being sent across the Detroit River into Windsor, Ontario, in knocked-down form; these cars were then assembled by the Packard Motor Car Company Ontario in Windsor, allowing them to be badged as “Made in Canada” and sold to Canadian buyers free of hefty taxes.

While the majority of “Made in Canada” Packards were the less expensive One Twenty models introduced in 1935, several of the elite Packard Twelves were also built “north of the border.”

One of these was this car, a Seven-Passenger Limousine, style number 735, that has a divider window and was built on Packard’s longest, most prestigious 11th series chassis, the 147-inch wheelbase 1108. Despite this model’s status as one of the most expensive factory-bodied Packards sold in 1934, fewer than 14 survivors are known, as many were scrapped during World War II or used as parts cars. This particular car is one of only two of those survivors that were assembled in Canada.

The history of this Packard has been traced back to Lyall Trenholm, of Arva, Ontario, who eventually sold it to noted enthusiasts Ken McGee and Ted MacPhail, of nearby Dorchester. Placed into storage in 1969, it was not sold out of Canada until 2008, when it was acquired by an enthusiast in California. It is worth noting that for many years this was an “unknown” car to American enthusiasts, as it didn’t even appear in Ed Blend’s landmark book on the 1934 Packard Twelves.

Having been in storage for most of its life, the Packard remains in wonderfully original, patinated condition, with paint that is original all the way down to the pinstripes; the front fenders have been repainted, but it was done so long ago that it scarcely matters. All exterior trim is complete, and the car has only surface rust, with no body damage and only one small crack in a side window. Opening one of the vault-like doors reveals an interior that is in an immaculate state of preservation, showing the loving care that this car received, even during its time hidden away in Ontario. While age can be seen throughout, there is not a single tear or hole in the interior. The dashboard gauges are not only original, but they are also still functional and behind unbroken original glass.

The owner reports that upon receipt, the Packard’s wooden artillery wheels were shod in new tires, new spark plugs were installed, the points were adjusted, new packing was installed in the water pump, and a compression check was run. The car starts right up and runs and drives without smoke on all of the 12 mighty cylinders, just as the Packard factory would have expected it to. Some 64,000 miles are recorded on the odometer, which is a figure that may well be actual, as the car’s condition supports the number.

Built to last and still going strong, this is an honest original Packard with character, and it demands continued love and preservation, just as it received for its entire life in North America.