Vintage Snapshots: Packards And Packard People In The ’50s-’60s

Text by Patrick Bell.

Packard was a fine luxury car line that was marketed for over 50 years.  I have had very little experience with them, as due to the harsh weather and roads where I grew up, they were pretty well gone by the time I gained my independence.  But today we have some good images from their last years.

The first shot of the day is an established couple with a sharp ’52 250 convertible from Chase County, Nebraska, where the seat is the town of Imperial.  It is located in the south west corner of the state, along the Colorado border.  This was the only convertible model offered that year, had a 327 cubic inch L-head straight eight, and its base list price was $3476.  Across the street was a ’47 Oldsmobile Series 66 or 68 Special Club Coupe with a visor.

Here we have a stylish lady with her furry friend and a ’52 200 Deluxe Touring Sedan with a visor from Massachusetts.  This was a junior series model that had a 288 cubic inch straight eight.

It was picnic time on a warm summer day with a ’53 Deluxe Clipper Touring Sedan, the most popular model of the year.  The Deluxe models had the lowest output 327 engine as standard equipment.  In the right lower corner is the fin of a ’57 or ’58 Plymouth Plaza.  With the photographer there are ten people in the photo, and I have to wonder if they all crammed in these two cars.  It would have worked fine as long as they were close friends.

This one is a ’53 Clipper Club Sedan, with the 288 engine, and the least expensive model of the year at $2544.  These two young fellers are likely brothers and seem to be enjoying the crisp fall weather.

Now we are at the waterfront on a cold winter day in a ’52 250 Mayfair that was described in the brochure as the “most exciting new sports car of the decade”.  It came standard with the 327 engine and had a base list price of $3318.

A ’53 Clipper Touring Sedan from Maury County, Tennessee, where Columbia is the seat.  It was towing a 35 foot trailer in 1958 per a photo search, and was at a stopover somewhere in Arkansas.  It may have been on auto row as I see a “Mercury Sales” sign on the building to the left and a “Rambler” sign above the trailer.

The ’66 Chrysler New Yorker 4 door hardtop in the background behind the Morris Minor is the newest vehicle I see, which makes the ’53 Deluxe Clipper Club Coupe featured at least 13 years old in this photo.  Beyond the Clipper is a ’54 Oldsmobile 4 door sedan, and then two Studebakers; a ’56 wagon, and across the street a ’55 Commander Deluxe Coupe.

Two shots of a ’56 Clipper Super Hardtop from California and perhaps an Aristocrat camp trailer.  This one came equipped with the 352 V8 engine. The top image shows the girls dressed up and ready to go somewhere, and the bottom one looks like they were heading out on a camping trip.

Packard’s first V8 debuted in 1955 in a 320 cubic inch plus three versions of a 352 cubic inch.  This ’55 Four Hundred was the coupe version of the Patrician sedan, and came with the mid range 352 which had 260 horsepower.  It also was missing a wheel cover and fender skirt (perhaps they were in the trunk), and is at least eight years old going by the ’63 Ford Country Squire in the driveway across the street.  Parked at the curb is a ’62 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan.

Here is a chihuahua that was jealous of the pelican hood ornament (also known as a cormorant) on this ’51 250 convertible.  With that wingspan it was almost bigger than he was.  1951 was the first year of a restyle that served through ’54.

Our final image is one of the final “real” Packards, a ’56 Patrician.  It was the top of the line sedan, and had a 374 cubic inch version of the new V8.  Packard merged with Studebaker in late 1954 in a deal that was not what the Packard boys thought it would be.  So ’56 was the traditional Packard’s last year, and for ’57 and ’58 the name soldiered on as dressed up Studebakers, which became known as “Packardbakers”.  The featured car was from California, and looked in very good condition for a twelve year old car per the photo date.

Thanks for joining us and to all good day!

 

More Vintage Photos Here