1937 Packard has a colorful history and a hefty sticker price

Got an extra $70,000 lying around?

You can get a screaming deal on this car.

It’s that majestic lime-green machine in the glass gazebo in front of the Hyundai dealership on Evergreen Way in Everett.

It’s no Hyundai. It’s a 1937 Packard sedan with 350 LT1 engine, 700R4 transmission and storied past.

We’re talking bullet holes and bandits.

“The way the story goes is that in the late ’30s or early ’40s the car was involved in a bank robbery. I can’t substantiate it,” said dealership owner Gary Micallef. “Supposedly the car was left in this farmer’s field back east. The man who restored it found bullet holes throughout.”

The bank robbery gone wrong is depicted in tiny murals along the car’s running boards.

“The picture starts out at a bank in a city and then you see a police car chasing this Packard, bullets flying back-and-forth and money flying out of the car,” Micallef said. “Then you follow it forward and there’s a little sign with an arrow that says ‘Certain Doom’ and on the end there’s a cemetery. The car’s name is Certain Doom based on this story.”

The Packard hasn’t seen much action since Micallef bought it in 2007 at the Hot August Nights classic car show in Reno. It was a custom rebuild on the original frame and body with about 300 miles. He has put about 2,000 very carefully driven miles on it.

Micallef put the Packard in the gazebo last fall to store it. People stopped to look. After a price inquiry, he put a $69,995 tag on it. That got even more looks.

It’s not publicity stunt. It’s a bargain.

“The guy who did this car had well over $100,000 in it,” he said. “I got it for $80,000.”

What’s it like driving it?

“Want to go for a ride?” he asked.

As if that was even a question.

Vroom! We were off.

Man, this car has gusto.

“It’s a hot rod,” Micallef said. “It’s not a speed car, but it will go pretty darn fast. I’ve had it going down the freeway 80. I don’t really push it real hard. It’s more of a cruiser. You drive it around. People look at you, they wave at you. You got a stereo system that will just about knock you out, if you wanted it to.”

He cranked on the cruisin’ music. I could ride in this baby to Reno. Instead, I made do with tooling around Evergreen Way, looking out at the world through 1937 shaped windows and feeling special. This is a happy car, there’s certainly no doom about it anymore.

If Micallef was worried about rock chips or being rear-ended by a SUV, he didn’t show it.

“It’s got all the amenities,” he said. “Garage door openers. Bluetooth for your phone. Electronic door openers. Drink holders. LED lighting that glows underneath. It’s been all limo-ed out inside.”

I see why he fell in love with it that hot August night in Reno.

“It was so unique. I had never seen anything like this,” he said. “It’s my favorite car.”

He’s ready to part with the joy ride of his life.

“It’s time for another owner,” he said. “I don’t use it often. I have a ‘70 Chevelle, a ‘66 Mustang, ‘70 Chevy pickup.”

Those cars have been in the gazebo before.

“Sometimes I just put a Hyundai in there,” he said, “and actually try to sell one of those.”

Want to buy it?

Contact Micallef at Hyundai of Everett, 7800 Evergreen Way; 425-374-0180 or www.hyundaiofeverett.com.

Send What’s Up With That? suggestions to Andrea Brown at 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown. Read more What’s Up With That? at www.heraldnet.com/whatsup.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

A stroll on Rome's ancient Appian Way is a kind of time travel. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves on the Appian Way, Rome’s ancient superhighway

Twenty-nine highways fanned out from Rome, but this one was the first and remains the most legendary.

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV has room for up to six or seven passengers, depending on seat configuration. (Photo provided by Kia)
Kia’s all-new EV9 electric SUV occupies rarified air

Roomy three-row electric SUVs priced below 60 grand are scarce.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD (Photo provided by Toyota)
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD

The compact SUV electric vehicle offers customers the ultimate flexibility for getting around town in zero emission EV mode or road-tripping in hybrid mode with a range of 440 miles and 42 mile per gallon fuel economy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.