Good morning! It’s Friday, which means it’s time to change things up a bit. This week, instead of a runoff, we’re going to look at two cars outside our normal price range, and decide which one might actually be worth its asking price. But here’s the twist: there will be a third poll option, which I’ll explain later.
It sounds like a lot of you had trouble deciding yesterday. Several comments I saw went back and forth, saying things like “the Buick Reatta is the more sensible choice, but I really want the Lancia.” In the end, the Reatta won, but it’s probably the only time anyone will consider a Buick Reatta “sensible.”
It’s a tough call for me, too. I have always wanted an Italian car, and a Beta Zagato would be a really cool one to own, but my recent MG experience has soured me on old project cars like that. So I guess I’d take the Reatta too, but I really don’t want to deal with that stupid touchscreen.
The cheapest new car in the US right now is the Hyundai Venue, an uninspiring little hatchbacky-thing (they call it an SUV, but whatever) that only comes with a CVT and stickers for $20,555. It’s probably fine, but it’s kind of like being told that the only place left to eat is Applebee’s, and the appetizer combo now costs $40. It makes you long for the past. But decent old cars are getting expensive too, in some cases stupidly so. So today we’re going to look at a nearly-new 25 year old car, and a really nice one-family-owned 84 (!) year old car, both of which are cheaper than that new Hyundai, but not by much. Your task will be to decide which you’d rather have: the oldie, the not-quite-so-oldie, or the modern snoozefest.
1942 Packard Clipper – $15,000
Engine/drivetrain: 282 cubic inch flathead inline-8, three-speed manual, RWD
Location: Southport, NC
Odometer reading: 81,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, bringing the US into World War II at last. In February of 1942, Congress ordered all US automakers to stop building cars and start producing machinery for the war effort. As a result, 1942 model year cars are incredibly rare, and even more rare when they’re Packard’s ill-timed all-new Clipper sedan. Introduced in mid-year 1941, the Clipper barely got rolling out of Packard’s factory before production was shut down. This is one of only about six thousand ’42 Packards built, and it’s probably the nicest one left. This car was brought to my attention by my buddy Stephen Gossin, who tells me the price was recently slashed by $10,000. It’s been in the same family since it was new.
Under the Clipper’s long hood is an equally long engine, a flathead straight-eight that powered Packards for decades. It’s known for its smoothness and effortless torque. This one displaces 282 cubic inches and sends 125 horsepower to the rear axle through a three-speed manual transmission. Overdrive was an option, but the ad doesn’t mention whether or not this car has it. It runs and drives well, and I don’t know about any of you, but I’d love the chance to drive it, just to see what it’s like.
The interiors of these old Streamline Moderne-era cars are just gorgeous, and I’m sad that this is the best look we get at this one. It’s in great shape, and I don’t think it has been restored, just well-preserved. It’s all original too; nobody ever added seat belts or a modern radio or anything to it. It’s a deathtrap in an accident, of course – if the lack of restraints don’t get you, the rigid steering column and non-tempered glass surely will – but you’ll go out in style.
The Clipper was a thoroughly modern design when it was introduced in 1941, and still looked good when production resumed in 1946, but Packard couldn’t afford to modernize its designs in the late 1940s like GM or Ford could, so a 1950 Packard looks a lot like this ’42 model. I don’t think that’s a bad thing; I’ve always liked the looks of these cars. And it looks really good in green. This one has a few blemishes here and there, but overall it’s in fine shape.
2001 Nissan Maxima SE 20th Anniversary – $19,500
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0-liter DOHC V6, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Massapequa Park, NY
Odometer reading: 27,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
It’s almost painful to remember how cool Nissan used to be, considering the state of its lineup now. There was a time when a used Maxima wasn’t fodder for “Your Job Is Your Credit” type dealerships, when acceleration wasn’t accompanied by the rubber-band feel and whiny drone of a CVT, when it showed off new sports cars by drifting them around a race track. This fifth-generation Maxima comes from the tail end of that era. I can’t remember if Nissan was still marketing the Maxima as the “four-door sports car” by this time, but it still applied. It’s a special 20th Anniversary Edition, with a few special touches over and above the fancy SE model.
Power for this generation of Maxima comes from Nissan’s VQ30DE V6, making 227 horsepower. This one makes the most of that power with a five-speed stick. It’s barely broken-in, with only 27,000 miles on its odometer. My hope is that those miles have been spaced out over the years, and that it didn’t sit for a decade or more. Either way, I’m sure it could use some exercise, so my advice to the next owner of this car is to take it on a nice long road trip. Santa Barbara is nice this time of year.
It’s got nice leather seats, and all the power stuff you could want. The 20th Anniversary Edition includes a few special touches like drilled silver pedal pads and a silver shift knob, like a lot of sporty imports at the time. It seems cheesy now, but that stuff was all the rage in 2001.
The rear spoiler is part of the SE trim, but the rocker panel and lower bumper trim are part of the 20th Anniversary package. It’s all in really nice condition, as you would expect for such low miles. Although it’s just parked in a driveway in the photos, I have to believe it was garage-kept.
I can already hear the howling about the prices of these two, but just think about that dumb little Hyundai again for a second. That’s what twenty grand gets you new. Yeah, see? These don’t seem so expensive now, do they? So imagine you’ve got $20,555, and you have to spend it on one of these. What’s it going to be: the cool old Packard, the sporty Nissan sedan, or that appliance with a warranty?
Three-on-the-tree beats a CVT any day of the week in my book.
That’s the only option that will have people giving you thumbs-ups and waves everywhere you take it. The other two? Nobody cares.
Packard for the win today in style.
I’d love to own and drive that Packard, and if I have to crash in it, I imagine I’d be better off than in my TR6, even with seatbelts!
Voted Packard. That would look great in my garage. $15k isn’t pocket change, but it is still more affordable than one of the more popular classics.
The Hyundai also sounds like a good choice. Boring choice, sure, but good choice.
I read about the Maxima twice and I still have no idea why this would be worth $20k. Sure, it is probably the nicest 2001 Maxima you can buy, but who cares? I’m sure someone on the internet will sell me the nicest bag of Lay’s sour cream & onion potato chips from 1988, but vintage or not, it is just a bag of stale chips.
I’ll ride and possibly die in the Packard. What a fascinating piece of automotive history!
I always kind of liked that generation of Maxima and an SE with the stick is a bonus of course. But I also think the ground effects kit (standard on the 20th edition here) was pretty tacky and looked like something from a JC Whitney catalog. While the low miles are impressive, they aren’t low enough to make it that collectible (assuming these will ever become a true collectible) and as others have pointed out, if you actually drive it eventually it’s just an old Nissan. I guess if you really wanted one 20 years ago now is your chance? But for 20 large, I’ll pass.
The Hyundai is an appliance for the road, nothing more. It gets you from A to B with a minimum of fuss and likey no enjoyment beyond what comes through Carplay. For a daily this is the choice but not today for me.
Packard is cool mostly for the bygone style and the never to be seen again Straight 8. I’d go for this one just for the novelty of owing/trying that alone. The rarity of it being a ’42 is also a plus. (But I would at least add seatbelts.)
Nothing about that Maxima is cool to me. That Packard is just really cool and stylish and the price for something that old and clean seems like a really good deal. Not as cool as my uncle’s 31 Packard with the rumble seat but still a really cool car.
Packard I guess, to be different. None of the three do much for me though.
Packard for sure. Whoever votes for the Hyundai has no soul.
That’s because the Soul is a Kia.
I thought it was Kia that has no Soul…
That Packard would look great parked next to my Brother’s ’51 Chrysler at a show. The Maxima might be a better car in general, and would get that sort of “you never see one this nice anymore-oh, hey, it’sevena stick!” kind of attention…but a Packard, man!
I don’t want to hang out with the person who bought a Hyundai compact crossover instead.
That Packard is something else and the price seems reasonable for what it is. It is not a daily driver though. I wouldn’t want to subject it to modern day traffic or risk my life in an accident with a bro-dozer. The Packard also has a nice place to live, look at that garage! That’s what I REALLY want.
Anyone howling about the price of the Packard is a fool.
Packard.
In five years, if you enjoy it and don’t ruin it, it will likely still be worth what you paid for it. And you’ll have a pre-war Packard!
In five years, if you enjoy it and don’t ruin it, the Maxima will be a 30 year old Nissan. Woooo…
That’s a good point. Assuming you can still get gas in 5 years, the Packard is the best investment.
Arguably, the Packard’s value has peaked as the people who remember it in its prime die off while the Maxima is just coming into its peak nostalgia era.
That peak probably happened at least 25 years ago; anyone who remembers 1942 is 90 years old or more now.
$15K seems like a reasonable floor for a well kept classic. I don’t think you’ll ever see cars in this shape going for 5 grand or anything.
Maybe. But I bet if you bought them both, preserved them just as they are, but put maybe 2k miles a year on them just enjoying them, in 5 years, you could probably sell the Packard for about the same.
But the Nissan? Probably not.
I have no idea at all whether that’s a fair price for the Packard, but I know a crack pipe Nissan when I see one.
Buy the Packard; sign up for WWII period casting calls=(eventually) Profit!