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CLEARWATER — Ambassador Limousine, with a client list that ranges from local sports celebrities and high-end weddings to standard airport travelers, added a unique vehicle to its fleet: A dove gray 1934 five-passenger Packard Landaulette limousine, one of only five or six known in existence.
The firm paid a fee in the low six figures for the Packard, Ambassador CEO Ken Lucci tells the Business Review. The company spent another $50,000 on renovation work that included restoring some of the interior and adding a Cadillac powertrain. “It's a great billboard vehicle for the company,” says Lucci. “This is what the brand stands for, luxury and elegance.”
Ambassador bought the vehicle from a struggling transportation company in New Jersey through a bankruptcy auction. Lucci chased it through liens and other issues over two years, a process he called a “treasure hunt.”
The Packard brand, says Lucci, fits with the luxury and once-in-a-lifetime philosophy the firm utilizes with clients, especially for weddings. Detroit-based Packard Motor Car Co. built the vehicles in the early 1900s, which later became a status symbol during the Great Depression.
Renting the Packard from Ambassador costs $200 an hour, for a minimum of five hours. The firm has already had several clients who have requested the vehicle, going as far south as Naples. Lucci says he's also brought the Packard to charity events, including one recently at the Vinoy Renaissance hotel in downtown St. Petersburg.
Lucci founded Ambassador Limo in 2007. The firm, with $4.5 million in revenues 2011, maintains a fleet of more than 40 vehicles. For a 2009 story on the company, click here.
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