What is your favorite Packard and why?

[Dave Mitchell]

Just curious what people like - doesn't have to be the most popular or most expensive or what you own, and you can list your top 6 or whatever you want.

[HH56]

Well, this ought to start a lively discussion, but here's mine.

1941 160-180. Elegant pre war design with the integrated headlights that to my mind, unified the car.

1947 Custom. Again, elegant tasteful design and the grill seems much more integrated and appropriate with the wider spacing.

1954 Pacific. I just like it. Trim and proportions to me are just right.

1956 Caribbean-both versions. Sport, elegance, performance, flash all rolled into one. To my thinking, the "eyebrows" balanced the car and just the right amount of chrome for the era.

[Guest imported_Speedster]

My favorite is 'The one I'm presently driving'!

Because it makes me feel like 'King of the World'! LOL

[West Peterson]

Let's put a rule on this: If you don't post a photo, your vote doesn't count.

[Dave Mitchell]

I thought we needed a fun topic, and maybe this will broaden some horizons. Photos would be very nice, (being a prewar guy I am going to have to look up the Pacific to refresh my memory), but if you don't have a photo that is ok by me. Although I am from Illinois, I believe that you have to register and show ID to vote and unlike others from my state, I think you should be alive, but I am less restrictive here.

Speedster, I see your point. Given your handle, I thought you might say 734s.

Thanks for kicking things off nicely HH56! Very thoughtful -and interesting that you like the postwar cars, but bridge back to the 41s. Your comments make me think that I used to prefer the 40s and back because of the headlights, but now I have 4 41s! I used to have a 46 2106 club sedan and it was the easiest driving vintage car I have ever been in - and it was fast and comfortable, and I agree, I liked the grill too.

[1935Packard]

If you wanted to give me a 1934 LeBaron Speedster, I wouldn't kick it out of the garage.

http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/109417,9074,0,0/photo.aspx

[1935Packard]

BTW, another interesting question is, what condition should the car be? Would you want it to be a Pebble Beach-quality restoration? #2? A driver? I'll take my LeBaron Speedster as an original unrestored driver, please (not that there actually are any like that, but hey, I can dream).

[Guest imported_Speedster]

Yes, I have to agree, '34 was the Best year for Packard. As to which Model, I can't deside ???

[tbirdman]

My favorites are 32-34 open then...

30-31 or 37

Of course all of the pre-15s

I have no desire for a 38 or newer Packard. That has more to do with styling then anything else. I just prefer the older styling.

[West Peterson]

Arrrgh! Still no pictures. It's a bummer to be visual.

Anyway, I'll take anything with this set-up, please and thank you.

Oh... and since we don't have to post photographs, I'll take the 1934 LeBaron phaeton and a 1941 Darrin (make mine dark blue, please).

[34PackardRoadsta]

Well, I would have to say I really like the 34 coupe roadsters . But I wouldn't mind:

-A 32-37 12 (twin six) coupe (or Victoria coupe). I really like the engine, and I think the styling of the coupe is very nice.

-a 32 light eight (900) coupe or convertible. For some reason I like the shovel nose. I also like that it was a 1 year model and somewhat of a flop for the company.

Cheers,

Tom

[Restorer32]

For my money, well, customers money, I can't afford to play with this stuff, a '31 840 Roadster with the '32 update is hard to beat.

[Dave Mitchell]

Thanks for the replies, keep them coming. Just for West, I will post photos of a couple of my favorites with blackwalls, including one with the setup he likes.

[DennyZ]

The '32 Light Eight has a very special look to me. I can't afford that model, so my favorites that I own are the '41 Clippers, and the 50's 250 coupe (like my '52)!

[DennyZ]

Here's the Clipper.......

Well I'm trying to upload it!!

[Dave Mitchell]

Tom, I really like the coupes also - especially the 34 12. I recently finished restoring a 36 5 pass coupe and I was not too fond of it when we started, but by the time we finished it, I rather liked the look of it, it is unusual. I won't put it as one of my top 10, but an interesting car that you seldom see. Tom, of course you own and drive a fabulously restored car that is at the top of the Packard wish list for most people, and done very tastefully.

Restorer 32, I see your point about the folding windshield roadster with the 32 kit.

tbirdman, You are lucky enough to own one of your favorites, and 32 for me is the highwater mark of the 32 - 34 coupe roadsters. I love the open fenders.

35Packard, You too own one of my favorites - I prefer the 35/36 coupe roadster to the earlier version. I may be the lone ranger there, but hey this is just my opinion.

No one has mentioned an early Twin Six, so I have to say that after driving the 1-35 a fair amount, this climbed rapidly into my top ten. I love the Twin Six - what an awesome machine!

I love the 734 phaeton for the low and very sporty look, and it is so much better to drive than anything else from 1930 that I have been in that it is amazing. Outside of West, most of you haven't had the chance, but driving one of these is a real eye opener - they want to roll down the highway.

[Dave Mitchell]

We have given the 734 a new interior and top boot - forgot and grabbed an old photo...

[Dave Mitchell]

Denny, That color really suits the Clipper, and you know that small tooth grill isn't bad either.

[Dave Mitchell]

A couple more blackwall photos for West. A 32 coupe roadster at the Paris Salon when new and a 32 Deluxe 8 custom coupe - can anyone name the coachbuilder or the location where the photo was taken? How about the coachbuilder of the roadster in the design drawing and the name of the designer?

[Guest 39Super8]

Hi Dave,

I would say 32 900 roadster. That's the car my old friend (ECA Los Angeles employee) had years ago. Wish I would have ended up with the car. I think the 40 180 is a fine car also. Don't get me wrong, I am beginning to form a bond with the '39.

Regards,

Jim

[Dave Mitchell]

Just to switch it up a little - one of my favorites from Packard color catalogs - the 35 and 36 12 sport phaeton. These are big formidible cars, but still sporty, and very rare, only a handfull (that aren't body swaps) survive and they are the last production sport phaetons. I love the clean flowing lines of these. Werner Gubitz and his staff were in top form with these designs in my opinion.

[Dave Mitchell]

Hi Jim,

I was hoping you would come in with something nice to say about the 39s!! They are great to drive with the venerable three piece engine in its final form mated with an overdrive and retaining the wide grill and long headlight buckets. I know I am in the minority, but having driven 39 Supers as well as 38/39 12s they are really good cars and I like them a lot. I have driven every year of 12 from 32 - 39 and the 38/9s are the best, and most comfortable too. The 39 Super is great as it is such a nimble car, yet retains the old style.

The 900 roadsters are great cars too - the black one that Bill Buddig had and the gray one of Don Zerth's are super cars. Both guys stepped up to the plate and had terrific restorations done on cars most people wouldn't think deserved them. Don's car in particular was really bad and was destined to be rodded, but his brother talked him out of it. It cost him a lot of money, but he didn't only save a Packard, it is one of the best now. I don't know who owns the Buddig car now. Bill was a real gentleman and I miss seeing him at meets. Maybe someone has photos of these they can post.

[West Peterson]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dave Mitchell</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A couple more blackwall photos for West. A 32 coupe roadster at the Paris Salon when new and a 32 Deluxe 8 custom coupe - can anyone name the coachbuilder or the location where the photo was taken? How about the coachbuilder of the roadster in the design drawing and the name of the designer? </div></div>

I'll guess LeBaron on the drawing (Ralph Roberts?)

I'll guess Saoutchik (sp?) on the custom coupe. (Paris?)

[Dave Mitchell]

West, Very good guesses, but the only one you are right about is Paris - the one photo is from the Paris concours. I found two photos in Europe, one in the US, and I have a fourth which I also found in Europe from a English magazine report on the Paris concours, giving the name of the woman who owned the car, and I think also who designed her dress - and yes, she won a prize!

[Guest 39Super8]

Dave,

I think the 39 Super 8 is a very unique combination of old and new. For me, it was a lot of bang for the buck. To the chagrin of many, It is recognized as a full classic. It’s an expensive car to maintain mechanically, but when the hood(s) go up at a car show, people literally go nuts over the prehistoric multi-piece engine design.

As for piloting the car for a while now, I certainly have to agree with you. I went to our local Orphan car show last weekend, working my way through the variety of Phoenix driving conditions. For a car nearly 70 years old, it basically ran with modern traffic flow.

Once at the show, a number of people with much more interesting cars were very gracious taking note of what positive attributes the car had to offer, and it’s unique place in Packards history. I think people either love these or hate them, not much in between.

Jim

[Dave Mitchell]

Jim,

The 39s have every bit as much right to be a classic as the 40 - 42s, all share the junior body shells, and the production of the 39s was lower I believe. There are probably more differences from junior to Super 8 in 39 than in 41 for instance. The Super has nicer seats - with the Marshall individually bagged coil springs and wool used in the 12s as well as the 12 type carpet. There is a lot of outside trim that is different also - one thing I especially like are the headlights on the Super - they are the only model and year to use that light, and once you have compared them to a 39 junior, you will see how much better they are. You are right, it seems to be love or hate, but I think that the hate is because of old stereotypes and lack of exposure to the Supers. I have a 39 Six and that is a really good car too - I put 50,000+ miles on mine - but the Super is even better.

[Dave Mitchell]

39 Super 8, sorry West, the whites, lights and guards may offend you, but most likely won't be there when it is done.

[West Peterson]

Dave

Those photos you've posted are first-time "look-sees" for me. That victoria coupe is absolutely gorgeous!! I'd sure love to know that it still exists somewhere. Wouldn't that be a discovery.

The drawing of the roadster looks a lot like the 1932 Chrysler now owned by Mark Smith: a LeBaron roadster modified by Murphy.

I'm curious on the '39 Super Eight (and yes, those driving lights are very offensive to the overall good looks of the car). Should the painted louvers be black, or body color?

[West Peterson]

Dave

Second guess at the vicky coupe with the dopey-looking chrome front-fender tips (or are those fenders aluminum, with the tips polished???): Letourneur/Marchand.

[Guest bkazmer]

I'll throw in a guess on the coupe - Fernandez & Darrin. Looks too restrained for Saoutchik ot Fagoni & Falaschi

[Dave Mitchell]

Brian, You are correct, it is a Fernandez & Darrin. The stepped beltline is one clue, I believe that they used it on at least one Duesenberg and a Hispano or two. The magazine article was the last thing that I found on the car and it confirmed the coachbuilder. I love the super low windshield. I don't know if the car exists or not, but I would think that if it did someone would have had it at Pebble Beach by now, where they would probably love the very French chrome trim, since people seem to add it to cars that never had it when new.

The roadster design is indeed Murphy, done by Frank Hershey, built by Bohman & Schwartz after Murphy went under, I doubt that it exists either, but I hope so.

[Guest 39Super8]

"I'm curious on the '39 Super Eight (and yes, those driving lights are very offensive to the overall good looks of the car). Should the painted louvers be black, or body color?"

West,

I believe the painted louvers are normally painted black regardless of body color. I have to admit, they look very nice painted body color in Dave's picture.

Jim

[Dave Mitchell]

I bought the silver car that way, but I think that they are body color. The silver car was originally dark green metallic and there was evidence of that color on the louvers. Also I have worked on two original 39 12s, one that I own and those louvers were body color (dark green and dark blue). I will look in my 39 data book and see if that says anything about this topic. It could be that if the car is a dark color they used body color. Packard did things like that at times - like painting the top insert to match on certain colors but not on others. Most of the restored cars I have seen have had body color, including lighter cars. If you had a Packard Ivory or Silver French Grey car, I think black louvers would odd.

In defense of the lights, I will say that I did put junior Trippes on my 39 6. It may not have been true to the purest form of the design, but I drove the car at night and the original headlights were not much good. The Trippes helped a lot, so I can see why people installed them. I met a guy who worked on cars in Sweden in the 30s and 40s - and he said we Americans made great cars, really good heaters and terrific spotlights, but our headlights were the worst of all cars. He did a lot of business switching American headlights over to Bosch, who made kits with bulbs, lenses, reflectors and bezels to fit lots of different US vehicles.

[Dave Mitchell]

The Data book for 1939 states on page 39 of the Super 8 section: "Radiator shutters extend in unbroken lines from top to bottom, and the impression of depth - of massiveness is increased by the painting of alternate shutters in body color. The remaining shutters are finished in chrome and the whole effect is strikingly beautiful." The 12 section says the same thing, with less drama.

[Guest imported_Speedster]

Many years ago, the first time I saw a '39 with the painted grill-louvers, I asked the owner if he painted them that way to cover up some Rust.

Man, was I Embarrassed, when he looked at me strangely and told me it was original.

LOL

[West Peterson]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dave Mitchell</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In defense of the lights, I will say that I did put junior Trippes on my 39 6. It may not have been true to the purest form of the design, but I drove the car at night and the original headlights were not much good. The Trippes helped a lot, so I can see why people installed them. I met a guy who worked on cars in Sweden in the 30s and 40s - and he said we Americans made great cars, really good heaters and terrific spotlights, but our headlights were the worst of all cars. He did a lot of business switching American headlights over to Bosch, who made kits with bulbs, lenses, reflectors and bezels to fit lots of different US vehicles. </div></div>

The Junior Trippes are definitely less intrusive looking. My step-father uses the Juniors on his Senior car, and it looks much better than the huge Senior lights.

In '39, of course, you still have the bulb and reflector system. I notice that with my '40, being sealed beam, there is no problem with having enough light... And they got even brighter once I got my new wiring harness installed (don't ever want to do that again).

[Dave Mitchell]

Speedster, sometimes we all make mistakes, and 39 is the only year Packard thought this was strikingly beautiful. With the price of chroming, it is one thing that helps on a 39.

[mrpushbutton]

1932-'34 are my very favorite, I think Packard reached their zenith of grace and statement with those great cars.

After that I like 1956 models, especially seinor models with pushbuttons!

Honorable mention:

early twin six cars

6th and 7th serice cars

1940-41 senior cars

41-2 Clippers

51-'54 open cars

[Clipper47]

I just love all Packards of any era but I would have to say that I love the 1929-31 Eight with that big flat grille and the 1941-47 Clipper styling on the 127" wheelbase chassis the best. Regarding Trippe lights; in the book Packard, The Pride one of the featured cars is a 1947 2126 Clipper. In an old photo taken when the car was new it shows it equipped with what look like junior Trippes. Mention is made that the owner of the car traded in a 1938 Packard Twelve for his new Clipper so I suspect the Trippes may have come off his old trade in. I bought a set on Ebay and installed them on my '47 in place of the factory fog lights in the hopes of improving my night vision. When I converted the headlights to Bosch halogens I had no further need for the Trippes so converted back to the foglights. I never had anyone comment on the lights either way as far as authenticity or aesthetics. I know that they are nor period correct but obviously at least one owner installed them on his 1947 and to my taste they looked very nice.

[Dave Mitchell]

Dave, come on down and we will go for a ride in the 30 speedster phaeton - you will love it! (And maybe a ride in the 35 12 just for old times sake.) I converted my 39 Six to Bosch halogens too - what a difference. The 37 I left the original lenses and put in 6V halogen bulbs and that worked well too.