61 Rambler wagon and 53 Packard Clipper????

This is a pic of our old family car, I believe a 53 Packard Clipper Deluxe. It has a portable carrier attached to the top. Can anyone out there verify or correct my assumptions???? thanks.

I was hoping someone with more Packard knowledge would give you the info you need. Maybe if I am wrong someone will correct me as I am not an expert. There were two series of Packard Clippers in 1953, the standard and the deluxe. By the smaller amount of trim and small hubcaps, I believe the one in the picture is a standard, not the Deluxe. Still a very nice car.

Need some help in id'n this old Rambler. I believe it was a 61 Ambassador, but I don't remember for sure. Can anyone help me out? thanks

thanks. that's what I thought. If I remember right, the Deluxe had "Packard Deluxe" in script along the back of the trunk. If that's true, then what kind of script was on the trunk of the standard Clipper?

Here is a pic.

Edited May 25, 2013 by Fleek (see edit history)

Fleek, please resend last post. it did not come thru. thanks

I was on an old standby puter, Will repost tomorrow from the good one.

Lets see if this will work. From what I can find both Clipper models used the same trunk trim.

thanks to all of you that have responded to my questions. Still looking for info on the Rambler pic though. Loved the old Packard. It was totaled in an accident while traveling thru Georgia back in 1960. I still remember the accident. I was 8 years old and it happened in front of a Sinclair station. Still a cool car. Can't say the same for the Rambler though...

Just another guess. I believe the Rambler may be a Classic, not an Ambassidor.

Hey 407 - How about 1961 Rambler American station wagon?

Chuck

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The American was one of my guesses, but in my old pic, the divider frame bar between the rear passenger window and the wagon window slants to the rear. The American doesn't on this year. Also, on my old pic, there is no model script noticeable on the side. But thanks for answering my post.

Definitely a full-size Rambler, not a Rambler American. Being a "plain Jane" model without distinctive side trim it's difficult to narrow down the year exactly, but 1961 seems likely, and I believe all the full size Ramblers in 1961 were called "Ambassadors". So your initial information is probably correct.

Don

Edited May 28, 2013 by DLynskey (see edit history)

I still believe the Rambler is a Classic Cross Country wagon. It does not seem to be large enough for an Ambassidor

thanks Fleek. You might be right. I can't tell if it is a Classic or an Ambassador. I just know that as a kid, it was an ugly car....

Hope you do not think I am disagreeing with you. I am just sure it is not an Ambassidor. The main giveaway is the flat taillights and rear bumper in your picture which seems to be a Classic. You can see from this picture that the Ambassidor had very diferent taillights and the rear bumper is curved to match the lights.

Looks like a 1960 to me with no side trim.....

Keiser, as usual, you seem to have nailed it. It sure does look like a 60 instead of a 61.

ok guys. I think we've been able to nail it down. I found these pics online and also found out that in 1960, AMC called this model, "Deluxe". It came as their basic package with no side moldings or trim and no side script. thanks again for your help.

Its been fun. Thanks for sharing your photos with us.

Brownstone, I think you are right about the Rambler wagon. It does not share the outline of the rear door with the American wagons and the lack of side trim shows it is a 1960 6 Deluxe. The side trim on the Packard shows it is a 1951-52 300 Series sedan. The 4-door sedan was the only available model in the 300 Series but still they called it a series. The Clipper debuted in 1953 and had a continuous trim strip that went from the headlights to the tail lights. The 51-52 300 Series was a Senior Packard as was the 400 Series; the 200 and 250 cars were considered Junior Packards.

Well, I thought we were finished with this thread, but I have to point out that as stated earlier in the thread, the 53 Packard Clipper standard did not have chrome running the length of the side. Only The Clipper Deluxe did. Brownstone's Packard is definately a 53 standard which had the smaller trim. The grille in his picture has the chrome section extending around the fender in front of the wheel and the heavy bumper guard that the 52 did not have. Everything points to 53 Clipper standard, sometimes called a special.

Ok, I have come across 2 old photos of the Packard from family pics. One shows the rear left quarter of the car and the other shows the right front quarter at the accident scene back in 1960. They clearly show the tail lights and the front grill (the half that didn't get smashed). I will scan them and post them sometime over the weekend. The two pics posted here are what I have found over the net that are exact copies of our old Packard. One shows the tail lights of an old restoration project, and the other pic is of Packard factory photographs. The factory called it a "Packard Clipper Club Sedan". The 52 grill had "teeth" in it, the 53 had none. I myself am convinced that our old Pack, which we called "Bessie", was a 53.

Just came across this old pic of our Pack. I had it cropped and enlarged, but you can still make out the rear view.

Old Bessie, 1960. Simple, inexpensive car, but I really loved it. There is a great Packard Museum in Dayton, Ohio if you get a chance to drive by it. When I last went, there was no admission, but they would take donations. A lot of cool cars. The people there were great, they let me have my way with the cars-checked under the hoods, trunks, let me get inside them to experience them. Some of them are valued at over a million $$. The brochure is one that I just recently obtained.