Packard 223 Two Seater Roadster Fire Chief

This fire chief car has very attractive so called blind wheels or disc wheels instead of the then common spoke wheels which are less strong.

Fire chief Augustin J. Cote from the city of Woonsocket in the US state of Rhode Island was once described by a colleague as a Packard man. In 1926 he acquired this six cylinder Packard as a first response car, one of the first of its kind in the state. The car, equipped with two warning lights and a siren at the front, as well as a large searchlight and a bell, is cherished by Cote. He rarely sits behind the wheel himself, instead being driven by one of his two assistants. Whether it is summer or winter, the top is almost always down. The car has very handsome so called blind wheels, that is, disc wheels instead of the then common wire wheels, which are less strong. The Packard remained in service until Cote retired in 1954, after which the car was sold to a private owner. He carried out a thorough restoration of the by then almost thirty year old car, but removed its fire department equipment. Around 2005 the Packard was restored once again to its original configuration as a fire chiefs car. On the door you can see the years of service of A. J. Cote: from 1901 to 1954.