This rare 1956 Packard has a cool little surprise in the trunk

This 1956 Packard is in incredible condition and even has its original V8 engine and a cool luggage set – designed to match the interior – tucked away in the trunk. 

Once known as a top luxury car manufacturer in the US, Packard’s fortunes took a downturn during the 1950s, which resulted in its merger with Studebaker.

The merger didn’t work out well for Packard, and in 1956 its Detroit plant was shuttered for good.

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The plant’s closure wasn’t quite the end for Packard – but it was certainly in its death throes – as the company continued to sell rebadged Studebaker motors under its name.

Sadly, this wasn’t enough to save the carmaker and in 1958 it closed down altogether.

This particular Packard is very rare

As you may have guessed, due to its turbulent times, 1956 wasn’t a great year for Packard in terms of sales.

In fact, fewer than 30,000 were delivered that year.

Fast-forward 70 years, and naturally, there are very few original 1956 Packards out there and even fewer in good condition.

However, one such example – a Packard Four Hundred owned by a man called Bruce Grabenkort – looks pretty much as good as the day it rolled off that Detroit production line.

Grabenkort appeared on Lou Costabile’s YouTube channel, where he revealed that he bought the car in 2016.

The stunning hard-top vehicle has a Dover White and Erie Green exterior, which actually makes it even more rare.

This particular color-combination only ended up on 47 of 1956 models – or just 1.5% if you’d prefer.

It has a cool little surprise tucked away in the trunk 

The interior is equally as gorgeous and is clearly a testament to how well the car’s previous owners have looked after the car in the decades since.

Under the hood, the Packard retains its original engine, a 6.1-liter V8, that creates 290 horsepower, as well as its original two-speed automatic gearbox. 

The mint-condition car has one more surprise, too – a set of luggage designed to match its interiors is stowed away in its trunk.

How cool is that?

This much-loved car is a credit to its owner and proof that the old adage ‘if you look after things, they last’ is very much true.

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