SOLD to a museum in Pennsylvania!! This is one of the rarest and arguably the most elegant post-war Packard in existence, a 1953 Packard Patrician Derham Formal Sedan with Limousine Division. This is one of less than 25 that were specially commissioned by Packard to be bodied by Derham to help revive Packard’s reputation and standing in the formal motorcar marketplace. This is the nicest example of the three that are known extant. It is an incredible time capsule, having been collector owned most of its life and covering a mere 69,000 miles, much of which was driven by the chauffeur in NYC to transport the famous steel magnate of Ackerlind Steel Co. This is in award winning preserved condition.

We have known this car for the past 30 years, when Robert McAtee first acquired it for his collection of 1950’s luxury cars. It has been one of our personal favorites since. It oozes luxury and elegance, and it has won elegance awards and has been written about extensively in Packard publications.

FEATURES
-Custom coachwork by Derham
-Curved glass for division window
-Power windows and division
-Radio, heater, defroster, power assisted steering and brakes, power antenna

SPECIFICATIONS
-Wheelbase: 127 inches
-Length: 218 inches
-327 CID straight eight, 9 main bearings
-Three speed manual with overdrive transmission
-Four wheel power assisted brakes

CONDITION
This Packard is in stunning condition. The black livery was repainted by Mr. Ackerlind in about 1959. It still retains a gorgeous finish and responds well to polishing.

The black leatherette top was renewed by Custom Auto Service in Santa Ana, California and remain in nearly perfect condition today. The grey wool broadcloth interior and grey wool carpeting were all redone exactly to the original patterns by Custom Auto Service in 1988, and are in spectacular condition today. The engine compartment is highly correct and original, having been detailed and serviced regularly. Overall, this is clearly a car that will continue to be accepted into major concours events worldwide as well as enjoyed on tours.

HISTORY
The Packard was bought new by Joseph Ackerlind, President and CEO of Ackerlind Steel Co in New York City. Mr. Ackerlind enjoyed the car for 12 years. The service decals remaining on the car show it travelling 23,600 miles by October of 1957 and 42,574 miles by December 6, 1960.

The Derham has had three subsequent owners until being acquired in 1988 by its present owner, Mr. Robert McAtee of Arizona. Mr. McAtee is know world-wide in Packard circles and over the past 30 years he has fastidiously maintained and improved the car, as needed.

Mr. McAtee will be including in the sale of this car the 1955 IBM Dictaphone machine used by Mr. Ackerlind, one of the original chauffeur leather gloves and an incredibly rare and valuable set of two unused 14 carat gold presentation keys presumably presented to Mr. Ackerlind by the dealership upon purchase and delivery of the car.

As a testament to the quality and condition of the Derham, it has won numerous awards over the years, including the coveted Circle of Champions at the Packards International meets (twice), Most Elegant and other significant awards. Perhaps more importantly, Mr. McAtee has enjoyed the Derham on countless tours over the past 30 years. It truly performs as well as it looks. This is being offered with decades of receipts and information, original sales brochures, spare parts, etc. Also included is a complete storyboard with easel featuring one of the many articles about the Derham, this one was from the Cars of the 50’s.

For more information, please contact Harry Clark at +1.602.245.7200 or email us at harry@classicpromenade.com.