1957 Packard Clipper

This motor car is being sold as part of an overseas collection. It has been imported under the Bonhams temporary admission customs bond and is therefore subject to the lower rate 5% import tax if the car is to remain in the UK & purchased by a private individual. A company purchasing the car will have to pay dute + VAT in addition to VAT on the hammer.

The 5% is calculated on the final selling price. For example, if the car sells for £3,000, then £150 is added, making the total amount payable of £3.150.

Companies buying this car will pay duty + VAT and also VAT on the hammer.

The winning bidder will receive a receipt for the final hammer value, and proof that HMRC fees are paid. If the car is subsequently exported abroad within 30 days then these fees are refundable.

Lastly, there will be a nominal administration fee of £250 for processing the NOVA application, and payable direct to the shipping company. A completed and processed NOVA will provide you formal proof that all duties & taxes are paid in UK and thus allow you to register the vehicle with the DVLA.

In common with the majority of cars in this collection, this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not tried to start or drive the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

It is available for view and inspection at our HQ near Abingdon and you and/or your appointed engineer should inspect it before placing any bid.

With the proviso that we haven’t tried to start or drive this car and can therefore only attest to its cosmetic condition, we think this 1957 Studebaker-Packard ‘Clipper’ Sedan (VIN: 57L1157) is a generally well preserved and conditioned example of a car that’s sure to turn heads on UK roads.

In keeping with many cars from the vendor’s static display collection, this vehicle comes to us with no service records or history to speak of.

Here’s what we think we know.

Firstly, we think it entered the vendor’s collection in 2013.

Lastly, we know that its odometer currently reads 43,588 miles.

That’s about it.

It’s a striking looking vehicle, that’s for sure.

Being American and made in the 1950s it is, of course, massive, bristling with fins and wearing more chrome than the Chrysler building.

And, aesthetically, it’s both distinctive and intriguing if not exactly beautiful – although that judgement is, of course, always formed in the eye of the beholder.

There are spikes and angles and recesses and nooks and crannies everywhere.

It’s a rich, two-tone brown and white combination with a ribbed chrome strip running from front-to-back along both flanks. The green tinted windows all-round add another hue to the colour palette.

The bodywork is fairly true, the panels are straight, and there are no dinks, dents, creases, folds, nicks or scrapes of any significance to report.

The acres of chrome work are mainly in top condition, bar the odd spot of foxing.

The wheels, too, are good, although the hub cap on the o/s/r wheel is missing (but it’s with the car) and the n/s/r tyre is as flat as a pancake.

Most of the paintwork is pretty good, although closer inspection reveals a number of minor repairs and touch-up jobs, some of which are of questionable quality – particularly on and around the rear fins.

There are some scratches and paint chips on both o/s doors.

Some paint has flaked off on the flat section between the boot and the bumper.

The lights, lenses and badging look good, except at the rear, where the ‘Clipper’ badge had split in two.

The same high levels of originality and preservation are in evidence on the inside.

The interior is really very impressive indeed and is wonderfully evocative of its era.

The fabric-covered seats, which have a sort of Jacquard pattern to them, are encased in protective plastic wrappers. These seem to have done a good job, although we can see some small stains and the odd frayed edge through the plastic.

The alloy dashboard fascia and instruments are in fine condition.

The padded vinyl top of the dashboard, however, has worn loose and the foam padding inside has turned to dust.

We can’t make any claims about the functionality of switches, knobs, levers, toggles, buttons, dials or other electrics as we haven’t started the vehicle.

The rear bench seats are seem good and, like their counterparts at the front, are swathed in protective plastic.

The carpets at the front are ripped sideways between the seats and the doors. There are also small rips in the fabric on the door cards.

There is a small split in the driver’s armrest. The fabric on the central pillar on the n/s is frayed and coming away.

The headlining is stained in various places and is ripped on the front passenger side.

The boot is a bit shabby but intact and solid. Lifting up the stained mats in here reveals some rust dust but nothing overly alarming.

The undersides reveal a little bit of blistering at the base of the doors on the n/s, but the sills and the chassis look, to us, to be pretty solid and honest.

Clearly, you’ll want to see for yourself and reach your own conclusion.

The engine and engine bay seem to be in very good condition, with everything looking clean, dry and in its right and proper place.

The car doesn’t come with a service history or any record of work done.

Currently, it has neither an MoT certificate nor a V5.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

We haven’t tried to start or drive the car so our understanding of it is somewhat limited.

That said, provided the car’s engine and mechanicals are in proper working order and ready for recommissioning, we think this could make for a really fun, distinctive and usable car.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £3,000 - £6,000, plus Bonhams bond payment and £250 NOVA fee.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.