Packard Book Question and Comment

[Steve_Mack_CT]

This is a follow up to the book discussions started on Dave's custom body thread. Wanted to move this so we don't take that thread too far afield.

Question - Any opinions on the out of print Packard book by Damman? (sp?) I see this is not a cheap book but it also looks like a pretty detailed work?

Any other favorites out there we missed?

Comment - Glad to hear you would consider writing a book, Dave M. For what it's worth, I sincerely hope both you and Dave C. find the time to do that. I would think the interest on the custom body thread would give you a clue on how an updated book on that topic would sell... Also nice that Dave's numbering research is being documented in the Cormorant, but I get the impression that is the tip of the iceberg - guys, we'll be waiting...

A book I would love to see would be a compilation of Ray Dietrich's work - I know his bio has been published in the Classic Car and probably elsewhere and there is info here and there, but that, or a book dedicated to LeBaron would be cool as well. I think there would be enough info to fill such a book out there?

Edited November 10, 2011 by Steve_Mack_CT (see edit history)

[oldcar]

I have just received a copy of Brooklands Book's "Packard Automobiles 1920-1958" (ISBN 9781855209213) This a collection of magazine and newspaper articles, road tests & etc.

Being an English publication I found it interesting to read some of the road test articles taken from a British point of view.

A quick look at the index will give you some idea of the wide range of models covered in the 296 A4 pages. It is paper back, black & white photographs only.

oldcar.

[Dave Mitchell]

I have a copy of the Dammann book and bought it to have a few of the unusual photos in it. It covers a lot of ground and has lots and lots of B & W photos, but suffers from low paper and reproduction quality, and most of all from the fact that most of the photos are business card size or smaller, with 4 - 6 on most pages and a bit more text than photo. I don't look at it often, and can't comment now on the accuracy of the text.

A Dietrich/LeBaron book would be interesting, and since Dietrich worked at LeBaron for a time, you could tie them together. For that matter adding the work of Tom Hibbard would be appropriate as he worked at LeBaron at the same time.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Bernie thanks for posting - I am familliar with that series which usually focuses on Foreign (to us here in the US! ) makes - will keep an eye out for that one.

Dave - my thoughts exactly on a book on LeBaron. The info is out there but putting it in one work would be cool.

[Dave Mitchell]

I was lucky enough to meet Ralph Roberts who founded LeBaron with Dietrich and Hibbard (and he was sort of left holding the bag when they left) and it was very interesting. In 1941 he left Detroit after working on the Thunderbolt and Newport and never worked in the auto industry again. He was in his 90s but had great stories to tell about clients like Irving Berlin and Al Jolson.

[Guest Oldschoolgent]

I was lucky enough to meet Ralph Roberts who founded LeBaron with Dietrich and Hibbard (and he was sort of left holding the bag when they left) and it was very interesting. In 1941 he left Detroit after working on the Thunderbolt and Newport and never worked in the auto industry again. He was in his 90s but had great stories to tell about clients like Irving Berlin and Al Jolson.

Tell me you have documented your visit with Ralph Roberts...

[Mahoning63]

Steve - I share Dave Mitchell's comments about the quality of Crestline's Dammon book. As to its importance I can only offer a personal perspective. It is probably the most valued automotive book I own because it not only educated me about the history of Packard by focusing on the each specific model from first to last, it woke me up to the type of cars and body styles offered since the inception of the auto industry. Up until I read it, cars from the brass era in particular were somewhat of a mystery. After reading it I became much more attuned to the industrialized world of 100 years ago and the types of cars people were buying. It is also a fascinating story of how the car evolved over the industry's first 60 years as viewed through lens of one company. For those reasons I highly recommend it and am indebted to the authors.

Like you, would also love to see a detailed book on Dietrich since his importance to Packard's success in the Thirties was so significant. He was one of the only Packard designers with the gravitas of GM's Earl and Mitchell, imho.

I also wish there was a book focused on Packard design, something with new details and a coherent timeline of the behind-the-scenes activities that few know about, if such information exists. Amongst the many areas I would like explored: who actually penned the modern looking Murray/Dietrich sport coupe, sedan and cabriolet renderings offered to Packard for the One Twenty circa 1935? Ray had been gone since 1931.

Paul West

Edited November 13, 2011 by Mahoning63 (see edit history)