AACA Library Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 The library has dozens of original photographs from Brooks-Ostruck portfolios. The photos here highlight the armored limousine built for General Chang Tso-Lin, Governor General of Manchuria in the 1920s. Cost of the car when built - $35,000 or roughly $450,000 in today's money. None of the pictures are dated but he was assassinated in 1928 so the car was presumably built before then.-Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozstatman Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Cowl mounting is usually the domain of accessory spotlights. But the "accessory" fitted in this case would certainly gain this Packard instant "respect" on the street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 The short hood suggests it is a six cylinder model and it looks to have quite skinny tyres - maybe a 1924 model 233? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earl B. Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 In the first picture, I wonder what the 3 half round canisters hanging off of the car are for. They are not shown in the second picture....B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72caddy Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 (edited) They look like waistbelts...something his personal protection would wear to help stay attached at high speeds..... Edited March 31, 2010 by 72caddy spelling....again (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 They look like waistbelts...something his personal protection would wear to help stay attached at high speeds.....And they go right along with the three roof handles for that scary ride. Can you imagine being strapped to the side of the car with the guy in front shooting that machine gun and others shooting back? I would feel a bit like cannon fodder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AACA Library Posted March 31, 2010 Author Share Posted March 31, 2010 Wow, I didn't notice the roof handles before -- great eye! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earl B. Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 Well, someone sure had goood eyes!!!! I hadn't seen those roof handles either... Now, What are the 'lights' attached to the rear bumper? You can see them better in pic 2. There is one of them on the front of the car... I'm guessing some sort of running light...B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 How about the oval openings between the rear window and the rear wheel. I am assuming that those are gunports, similar to what you see on armored cars today. You don't want to have to open the window to return fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 How about the oval openings between the rear window and the rear wheel. I am assuming that those are gunports, similar to what you see on armored cars today. You don't want to have to open the window to return fire. I see a gun protruding out the rear in one of the photos. I think those "lights" on the rear are actually a type of shock absorber...unless I am missing something. Are you talking about the vertical cylinders? They are on the front, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cben09 Posted March 31, 2010 Share Posted March 31, 2010 (edited) Th vertical cylenders are the well known[at that time] Westinghouse air shocks,,verry expensive and give truly a "air ride",,,Short hood,,I can only think it is a Twin6,,The single6 would never move the weight uphill,,Czar Nicholas of Russia had a similar Twin6,,shown in one of Clymers books,Packard,,bore stroke,,3x5",Dual side mount water cooled 30cal,,a really good dependable auto',,fire til the water boils,,go some more,,,we had em in NatGuard in mid 50's,,I think they[the gun] were a 1916 model,,+-,,,Cheers,,Ben Edited March 31, 2010 by cben09 omission (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Orphanauto Posted May 22, 2010 Share Posted May 22, 2010 Very interesting, I wonder, wih a car that cost that much, is it still around? I also noticed in photo 3 the arm rest on the jump seats, that must be rare too, as I have never seen arm rest on jump seats before. Also, the car has the big gun hanging out in the studio where they were building it, wow very cool. thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studeq Posted August 21, 2010 Share Posted August 21, 2010 In my files I have three original articles about this car. They are rather thorough and have several illustrations. They are: 1.) American Automobile Digest for August 1921. 2.) Motor Life June 1921 and 3.) The Chicago Herald Examiner newspaper for July 13, 1921. If any one wishes copies of these or desires more information contact me directly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Relay fan Posted July 6, 2011 Share Posted July 6, 2011 (edited) Thank you Chris Ritter for posting these pictures. I had read about this armored vehicle in the letters of Daniel F. Myers but did not know what it looked like until now. Myers, in the early 1930's, was Chief Engineer of a truck factory established in Mukden (Shenyang) China by the son of Chang Tso-Lin , the "Young Marshal" Chang Hsueh-liang (Zhang Xueliang). Myers corresponded with Mr. W. E. Murphy, Relay Motors Corp., Lima, Ohio about purchasing armored vehicles for the "Young Marshal" and in a letter of November 19, 1930, he wrote this to Murphy about the Brooks-Ostruck Custom Bodied Packard: "[The Young] Marshal owns a very fine armored car that his late lamented father had made up from a very fine Packard chassis. It was concocted by the famous old Packard Export manager who is now Vice-President or something of the Atterbury, Armeleder [sic. = Armleder?] or some other outfit. Needless to say it is more a thing of beauty than of utility. At any rate the Young Marshal is not risking his neck in it."This letter indicates that this 1921 vehicle was still in existence in Shengyang China in November 1930.I wish Myers had named that "famous old Packard Export manager"! Any ideas who he might be? Edited July 7, 2011 by Relay fan Clarification (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Block Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 great post, I bet I could spend week in the library and not get bored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now