AN ICONIC car brand that hasn’t produced any motors in decades is set for a shock return – with a luxurious model taking shape to rival Bentley and Rolls-Royce.
Packard, one of the most famous and prestigious luxury car brands from the US, started life in 1899 and were considered among the very top marque’s in terms of luxury, quality and innovation.
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They were once a favourite among royalty, including the Japanese Imperial family and Russian royalty, as well as US presidents and the Hollywood elite.
But by 1958, they were no more, following a string of poor business decisions, an ill-fated merger and failure to make competitive new cars following World War 2.
And since the 1950s, the iconic American marque has remained dormant – until now, as Netherlands-based firm JB Classic & Bespoke is hoping to revive the legendary name.
According to Auto Express, they are working on the Packard Excellence, a bespoke car based on the Bentley Flying Spur.
The project, which has involved an extraordinary 17,000 hours of craftsmanship to create a custom body, incorporates many classic Packard design elements – such as the signature grille, ‘suicide’ doors and the Goddess of Speed hood ornament.
The final, striking design comes complete with custom headlights and a stainless steel trim.
To finalise the look, JB Classic & Bespoke collaborated with Cinovara Design, another Dutch firm, to engineer and design the car.
The Excellence also draws inspiration from a previous attempt to revive the Packard brand back in the 1900s, which involved rebadging the Facel Vega Excellence.
Despite the bespoke design, traces of the Bentley Flying Spur’s origins can still be seen, particularly in the rear three-quarter view.
Packard isn’t the only classic car brand that’s being lined up for a return, as the beloved Austin Arrow is to be re-launched in the UK with an exciting modern twist.
And first deliveries of the new Arrow have already started, complete with all-electric power – with pricing in the UK starting from £31,000, which is around £2,500 more than the most basic Mazda MX-5.
Established in 1905, the once-defunct British brand has made a comeback after being sold to BMW in 1994.
What’s more, the Citroen Type H, which was originally launched in the late 1940s and lasted for 34 years, is being brought back with a largely similar look to before.
The new version, which retains the corrugated, classic look of the original van all the while incorporating modern design elements, also offers plenty of practically – with a payload capacity of up to 1,385kg.
It also boasts all the modern conveniences you could want, not least 260 miles of range for the electric variant – powered by a 110kWh battery.
Then there’s a HD touchscreen, climate control, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and cruise control.
Courtesy of an official partnership with The 2CV Shop, a specialist in classic Citroen 2CVs, and Italian company Caselani, this new version of the Type H is actually based on the modern Citroen Relay.
Pricing varies, as a new Type H starts at £52,995 for the electric cab model and £63,495 for the panel van.
Retrofit conversions for existing Relay vanss, from 2019 onward, are also on offer, beginning at £24,595.
Diesel-powered options are also available from £41,995.
