Packard Excellence: A Lavish Sedan Built on an Old Bentley Flying Spur

The American marque Packard ceased to exist in 1962, and several attempts to revive it since then have all failed. Today, Packard survives mainly in the hearts of automotive history enthusiasts, while its original cars remain highly prized by collectors for their rarity, technical sophistication, and prestige.

Still, for those who dream of a modern Packard, there are dozens—if not hundreds—of coachbuilders ready to indulge that desire for the right price. JB Classic & Bespoke specializes in exactly these bespoke projects. At the request of a private client whose name hasn’t been disclosed, the company created the Packard Excellence using a second-generation Bentley Flying Spur (produced between 2013 and 2019) as the donor car.

The donor sedan features Bentley’s flagship 6.0-liter W12 engine (rated up to 635 hp in stock form), now sporting a Packard badge on its cover—a clear nod to nostalgia, though no one is fooled: this is neither a real Packard nor even a Bentley in spirit, but ultimately a Volkswagen product at its core. Inside, the cabin remains mostly stock, aside from a Packard emblem on the steering wheel replacing Bentley’s signature wings.

The Flying Spur’s bodywork, however, has been extensively reworked. The front fascia is unrecognizable, the rear end is entirely new, and only a trained eye could identify the British sedan in profile—despite the redesigned, integrated door handles. The rear doors of the Packard Excellence are rear-hinged “suicide doors,” requiring completely new locks and hinges.

Interestingly, the “Excellence” name comes from the French brand Facel Vega. Shortly before Packard’s demise, there were plans to sell a luxury sedan based on the Facel Vega Excellence under the Packard name—a project that never materialized. The extravagant front-end styling of the new Packard Excellence is, in fact, a tribute to the Facel Vega Excellence rather than any classic Packard model.

The Packard Excellence made its debut at the Wheels Mariënwaerdt automotive festival in the Netherlands, held from September 12 to 14.