1919 Packard Opera Coupe

Ever wondered where these old cars have been? The stories they would tell if they could? Our 1919 Opera Coupe has one of those stories. The Opera Coupe is the oldest Packard car in our collection. The unusual body was designed and built by J.B. Judkins company, who built a number of bodies for the Packard Motor Car Company.

The car was generally driven by a chauffeur and seated two passengers in the back. A small fold down seat attached to the floor was available in case you needed to take a doorman with you.  In the back of the car are glass vases for fresh flowers. These features speak volumes about the car and what sort of person would have owned it.

However, the 1919 Opera Coupe was a car with a double six engine (V12) developing 90hp and getting up to speeds of 85 miles an hour, a fast car for its day. This made it the perfect car for ‘booze runs’ across the Canadian border. During the 1920s, alcohol would be transported to the USA as that government had outlawed the manufacture, sale and transportation of intoxicating liquors. This period is known as ‘Prohibition’.

During this time, the car was allegedly owned by a notorious counterfeiter and bootlegger, high on the FBI’s wanted list. The car was fitted with a copper tank in place of the backseat to facilitate the carrying of large quantities of ‘joy-juice’ as it was called. However, it seems after a police chase, the car was abandoned in a ditch. Customs seized the car and auctioned it off.

It found its way to Jerry Stone who was looking for a challenge. Jerry painstakingly rebuilt the car. Eventually the car was put up for sale. Graeme Craw spotted the car in an American magazine. He purchased it and imported it into New Zealand. The car now sits in the Packard Motor Museum as part of our Packard story.