A Classic in Every Sense:

The Borge's Packard Limousines

"I bought my first car when I was 21," Borge said. "It was an incredibly tedious process to restore it, but it was a necessary step in building confidence in my ability to transform the cars from start to finish." Borge fell in love with the 1947 Packard limousines, partly because there were only 2,500 or so manufactured and partly because they are the ultimate in art deco design. "They are truly rare, moving antiques."

After finishing his first car Borge sought other rusted Packard limousine shells, buying them wherever he could find them for $1,000. After sandblasting the frames Borge amassed parts scrounged from a multitude of sources around the country and started, literally, from the beginning, replacing every piece of equipment, from the engine to the finished chrome strips on the fenders. "I have formed long-standing relationships with people all over the country who buy and sell Packard parts. The best finds are the 'new old stock' (original parts still in the boxes). If I come across someone with an inventory of those, I buy as much as I can. If I'm lucky the prices are reasonable, but more and more these parts are becoming rare, and I sometimes have to fashion a replica."

Soon after restoring his first two hard tops he began renting them throughout the Bay area for weddings. Although everyone loved the cars, they kept asking if he had any convertibles. Packard didn't build any convertible limousines, but Borge had gained enough savvy to envision a way to create one. He toyed with the design, found 8" of extra space that he could trim from the trunk, and engineered a convertible frame and top. He customized everything except the running gear. Not only are his convertibles truly unique, he in fact owns and leases the only convertible limousines in the Bay area.

Schooled to be a viticulturist, Borge spent seven years in the wine industry, until his cars became so popular that he was able to quit his winery job and pursue his dream on a full-time basis. Although he began working on the cars in a shed with no walls except for Lexan panels during the rainy season, today he stores the five cars in a spacious garage on his property. Another adjacent building houses the next convertible, now midway through the customization process. Yet another rusted car or two sit in his pasture, waiting to be transformed.

When Borge and his wife, Paula, began dating, she helped him build one of the limousines and discovered for herself the intensive process involved. Once Borge begins the process, he has to stay focused and work on the cars diligently, night and day, until they're completed. "You have to stay completely focused or you lose your momentum." It can take six months to a year to complete one convertible. "Because Paula helped me build a car from beginning to end, she knows what it takes. I'll sometimes work 14-16 hour days for months in a row. She's very patient, but at some point she starts to wish that she had her husband back."

Borge also credits Paula with the idea to rent the cars for winery tours. "She came up with the idea and put together the necessary ingredients to offer white-glove services, including crystal champagne glasses, gourmet picnics, specialty tours and their latest offering, 'clue hunts.'

"Because we both grew up here we know about some of the more unique, smaller wineries. Tourists can find the large wineries on their own, but we offer them the opportunity to visit places that only a native who knows where the real treasures lie could find. We want them to go away feeling as if they've experienced the culture and ambiance of the Napa Valley in style," Borge said.

Some of his favorite attractions include a picnic at the ruins of the old Summit Winery, overlooking Bothe State Park on Spring Mountain Road, and visits to smaller wineries where guests can enjoy private tastings with the owners.
Although they still lease cars for weddings, today their business primarily consists of winery tours. Private groups of four to six people frequently rent a car for the day, and larger groups sometimes lease all five cars. "We actually haven't done much advertising. The word gets around. Some groups come back every year, and everyone has such a good time that they go home and tell their friends about us."

Borge loves to drive the cars himself, but he also employs a staff of chauffeurs who are all very knowledgeable about wines and about the valley. "Someone has to keep building the cars," he said, laughing. "It is truly my passion, and it gives me such a feeling of satisfaction that I'm hooked, at least for right now. Someday I may want to go on to do something else, but, for right now, this is a dream come true."

Antique Tours Limousine Service LLC
(707) 226-9227
www.antiquetours.net