Start up the Packard! New York to rehab FDR’s ride

ALBANY, N.Y. — The 1932 Packard Phaeton driven by Franklin Roosevelt when he was governor has been on display behind a wall on the fourth floor of the State Museum in Albany, but largely out of public view.

That may soon change.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo watched workers on Tuesday pack up the Packard for repairs. The goal is to get it working again and take it on the road for state events — and maybe even the opening of the new Tappan Zee Bridge slated for 2018.

"This is a national treasure, and it’s going to be a great marketing device for the state of New York and the 'I Love NY' campaign," Cuomo, a car enthusiast, told reporters after inspecting the engine and sitting in the driver's seat.

"We’re hoping to get it running. I’m hoping to get it running for the Tappan Zee Bridge opening, to tell you the truth. But it really is a beautiful piece of history."

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The model 905 was purchased in 1932 by the Hyde Park native for his use in Albany when he was governor. When he became president a year later, the 12-cylinder Packard joined the state fleet of vehicles, according to the State Museum.

"Though kept in running condition, it was rarely used after 1942, when Gov. Thomas Dewey acquired a Cadillac," the museum said.

Gov. Hugh Carey transported Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands in the Packard when they visited Albany in 1982, the museum said, but after that it wasn't really used much.

Cuomo said it was last inspected in 1988 and has about 40,000 miles on it.

"As a car, it is a really special car, just as a classic car," Cuomo said. "But a classic car that was FDR's — just imagine it."

Follow Joseph Spector on Twitter: @GannettAlbany