Old enough to remember Packard Motor Cars?

[gyrafoam]

Hey George,

I think the first one I remember is just like the one you show. Dad always referred to that dark blue as "Packard Blue".
It was a beautiful shade.

 

[rinso]

Can you say "Ultramatic"? It was Packard's automatic transmission and the first one ever with a locking torque converter.

 

[supersuds]

I was brought home form the hospital after I was born in a '52 Packard (an old car by then!)

That 1941 Packard with LeBaron coachwork is one nice car. Does it have the Electromatic clutch? This was a feature that allowed shifting without using the clutch pedal except to reverse, I think.

By the way, the story of prewar Packard dies being sold to the Soviet Union has been pretty thoroughly debunked in the Packard Club's publications. Someone did actual measurements of a surviving Soviet car -- I think it was called a ZIL -- and it didn't match up with a prewar US model. The Soviets just copied the styling. They had a 1950's sedan that looked like the '55 Packard, too.

 

[tolivac]

Yes,Remember Packard-nice cars-my Dad had one when we were growing up-those infamous trips to the Colorado mountain cabin from New Mexico in a Packard-The Packard my Dad had was a Black and Whire sedan-with air conditioning-the air conditioner had two transperat plastic tubes that blew the air against the back window-we loved to drop marbles into the pipes and watch them blow out-one time didn't go as we wanted-a marble was rattling asround in the fan or duct under the plastic tube.And we split Life Savers in the ash tray doors.That car did provide amusement as well as transportation!Don't remember what year that Packard was.Was the only car my Dad had at the time that had factory AC.

 

[whirlcool]

That 48' Packard is just like the one our friend has. Unfortunately, his is not in as good condition. He keeps saying "He'll get around to it one of these days". He also has a 55' Nash Rambler (those little cars) that he has owned for 20 years and still hasn't started on it either. Personally, I think he hoards things.

 

[goatfarmer]

The end of Packard

...was in 1954 I believe, when they merged with Studebaker. At the time, it was called "two drunks trying to help each other across the street". Horrible merger, since both companies were in such bad shape.

 

[sudsmaster]

The times I've been at Pebble Beach Concours, I noticed that when a twin-six Packard was running, you really couldn't hear the motor. Very quiet and smooth.

 

[stainfighter]

when twin-six running, couldn't hear it...

My uncle's 1950 Chrysler Windsor was the same - silky and eerily quiet at idle. That (1972?) LTD is a beauty in powder blue, one could tell its lineage and that it was a step up from a Galaxie 500

 

[abcomatic]

Love those Packards

When I was a kid we drove Packards. 1949 clipper, 1952 clipper and a 1953 clipper. The '49 and '53 were both light gray on the bottom, dark gray on top and had red wheels. My mother received several speeding tickets with those straight 8 engines. ( I don't use the word straight very often).lol
I can remember my mom and a girl friend of her's who would both go out on route 66 and RACE. We had the '49 Packard and she had a '49 Caddy with a V-8 engine. The Caddy beat at start acceleration but our Packard passed her hands down once mom got it going. How I ever lived beyond childhood is a mystery to me! lol