Classic Packard rolls into lake during owner's photo shoot (2024)

The restored '39 Business Coupe "was like his baby," fire chief says of the distraught owner

Author of the article:

Nicholas Maronese

Published Apr 16, 2024 • 1 minute read

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The California owner of a classic Packard is in for some headaches repairing his car after it rolled into a lake during a Tuesday morning photo shoot. The 1939 Packard Business Coupe was parked on a boat launch on the edge of the Riverside County reservoir in Canyon Lake, California on April 9, apparently for some golden-hour photography, reports The Mercury News; it all went south when whatever was holding the car from rolling back down the ramp let go, completely submerging the car underwater.

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It wasn’t the owner who called in first responders to retrieve the classic car, but the property owners’ association, tipped off by security personnel who’d spotted an oily sheen on the surface of the water, pulled up surveillance footage of the boat ramp, and via the camera feed saw the Packard sink into the depths.

The local fire department was notified around 8:00 a.m. and, because they noticed bubbles of air coming from the car, requested a dive team from the sheriff’s office; the owner of the car turned up to the scene some 20 minutes later and let them know the car was unoccupied.

“He was very emotional,” Canyon Lake Fire Chief Jeff LaTendresse said of the owner. “It was like his baby.”

Classic Packard rolls into lake during owner's photo shoot (2)

The Packard took several hours to retrieve from the lake, and though it appears undamaged from the photos released by the fire department, we’re sure the wiring, interior, and more will need to be completely gone through.

Listings for similar Packards online suggest the car’s value hovers between the US$30,000 and US$50,000 mark.

We’re sad to report this isn’t the first time a late ’30s Packard has taken an unplanned dip due to a parking mishap. In 2016, a very rare 1938 Packard Super Eight Convertible Sedan with body by Bohman & Schwartz earned itself a best-in-class trophy at the Hilton Head concours d’elegance in South Carolina—and then minutes later rolled backward into a nearby pond, apparently because the hand-brake had not been set.

Nicholas Maronese

Nicholas has been part of the Driving.ca team since 2018, and writes specifically about classic cars – like his first and currently only car, his 1971 Plymouth Valiant Scamp – whenever possible, though he also enjoys exploring vehicular history, automotive design, and car culture. His specific areas of focus include American cars of the 1930s, ’60s, and ’70s.

Summary

Driving.ca News and Features editor; and a Driving.ca contributor since 2018 Professional writer and editor for over 10 years, seeing publication in some of the most widely read outlets in Canada and the U.S. Specialties include classic-car profiles, automotive history, and stories exploring obscure Canadian car culture

Education

Nicholas graduated from York University with a Bachelor’s in Professional Writing, and a minor in Philosophy. He also holds a Canadian Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL); and has been training to be a concours judge.

Experience

Nicholas started out writing news for Sympatico Autos (later renamed Autofocus) before eventually becoming that website’s chief editor. In 2018, he joined Driving.ca, and was not long after made the News and Features Editor. Nicholas has also contributed to the Toronto Star’s Wheels section; to Hagerty’s editorial efforts; and to an assortment of other publications. Nicholas has owned and maintained a 1971 Plymouth Valiant Scamp since 2012; and previously tinkered on a 1929 Ford Model A. He is a regular volunteer with the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Owen Sound, Ontario; and a frequent participant in Classic Car Adventures’ Maple Mille event in southern Ontario.

Major works by the author

Nicholas loves exploring overlooked corners of Canadian car culture. For Sympatico Autos, he put together a deep-dive look at General Motors’ disastrous introduction of its European Firenza to the Canadian market; drafted an authoritative history of the built-in-Canada MCV CH4 supercar; and arranged the first wind-tunnel test of a 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona “aero warrior” available online. For Driving.ca, he’s profiled Chris Hadfield’s passion for first-generation Ford Thunderbirds; proven that pre-war cars, excepting the Chrysler Airflow, were more aerodynamic backwards than forwards; and unearthed the story of the Ferguson Super Sport, a one-off roadster built in Toronto in the 1960s.

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