1958 Packard wagon in CT Craigslist

[Kevin M]

Not mine but is definitely an interesting car 

https://newhaven.craigslist.org/ctd/d/deep-river-1958-packard-station-wagon-1/7084290553.html 

 

[John_S_in_Penna]

Kevin, thanks for sharing this ad.

 

Whenever there's a phone number in the ad,

I like to copy that information into the forum here,

for people's reference after the original short-lived

ad has expired.  I see that the seller listed no number,

however.

 

 

[Matt Harwood]

I love wagons and I love weird stuff, so I obviously love this Packard.

That said, it might also be the flat-out homeliest car ever created. It's like the three blind men tasked with identifying an elephant were also assigned to build a car. The wildly oversized fins, the tacked-on headlight pods, the curiously anti-sporty hood scoop, the catfish grille, and, of course, the price tag that seems to have misplaced a decimal point...

 

 

Nevertheless, I can see it in pink being a show-stopper about $120,000 from now.

 

 

[FLYER15015]

Wow, if I were to open the dictionary to "buttugly" this car would be pictured.

Did not realize that Packard had taken such a fall.

Our second grade art class could design a better car.

Can you imagine parking this thing next to a '32 - '36 phaeton at the ACDP club meet ? 

[JACK M]

2 minutes ago, FLYER15015 said:

Wow, if I were to open the dictionary to "buttugly" this car would be pictured.

Did not realize that Packard had taken such a fall.

Our second grade art class could design a better car.

Can you imagine parking this thing next to a '32 - '36 phaeton at the ACDP club meet ? 

 

Sure could.

No one would look at the 32-36 phaeton.

[Restorer32]

Years ago I saw a Packard Station Wagon in a junkyard near Phillipsburg, Pa. I distinctly remember it had Studebaker as well as Packard scripts on the fenders as well as Broadmore as the model, also in die cast script. Wish I had bought it.

[Yellowriv]

Ugh!

[Matt Harwood]

21 minutes ago, JACK M said:

 

Sure could.

No one would look at the 32-36 phaeton.

 

Now you're getting it!

 

Weird stuff that isn't perfect is interesting and this Packard, even if it were not perfectly restored, would stop traffic. The comfort zone of most guys in this hobby remains with "shiny" and "popular" but my 11-year-old son, Riley, and I were just talking about this an hour ago (he's here in the shop with me doing his homework across from me at my desk). He noticed the four or five "people's choice" awards on my shelf that we've won with our cars, none of which are perfect or expensive or stunning. But they are unusual, appealing, and they stand out because people never see them at shows and they're odd enough to be unique. People respond to that type of car in a big way. It makes me wonder more and more about chasing perfection at the high end when I'm pretty sure they're not having any more fun than we are at the scruffy low end.

[TerryB]

I’ve always lived at the scruffy low end and found it to be a wonderful place.  My 1964 Vespa and 1970 Yamaha Enduro 90 were excellent examples of found for cheap, cleaned up and made running as required and enjoyed by many who saw them.

[mike6024]

Another Packard by the same seller

 

1948 Packard Custom 8 Touring Sedan

 

 

$9000

[Hupp36]

Matt, I  know from having a  car that may  be  a little  weird and not  the  run of the  mill at  a car  show. I  do  no care about a trophy, because my  trophy is  talking and  answering questions about the  car,  like Who made  Hupmobile.

[The 55er]

Call me crazy but I swear there used to be a 1958 Packard Station Wagon running around my town in south central PA. It was in excellent condition and was white with a red roof with an old purple PA antique tag. I haven't seen it lately, might be 5+ years ago but I saw it fairly often over the years. I never paid much attention to it but I knew it was something odd and unusual. According to two sources I have there were actually 159 built. Maybe it has since been sold or it's stashed away in a garage somewhere. It's possible it was a 1957 (869 built) but it definitely had those distinctive Packard taillights. 

[stude24]

2 hours ago, mike6024 said:

Another Packard by the same seller

 

1948 Packard Custom 8 Touring Sedan

 

 

$9000

That Packard seems like a great buy at that price, but as we've seen post war Packard sedans are not high on the desirability list right now and that won't likely improve much in the near future. It's a shame. 

 

[Hupp36]

Wow, what memories. My  second  car  was  a 1948 Packard 4  dr.  sedan. It had  an  electric  clutch. You could get  it  going about 15  mph in  first gear, let of the  gas, The  engine  would slow  to an  idle. Waite a few  seconds and  stomp the  gas  to  the  floor  and  squeal the  tires. I  used to  do  that  on main  street just  for  laugh's. Hey, I  was  only  16.

[intimeold]

Ok, I am curious!

 

I love the earlier Packards, as my father had a few.  But nothing like this car!

 

Googled 1958 Packard Station Wagon, pics; and I got a full page of of the mentioned car.

 

Some pics have the double fins and some pics don't.  What is the reason for this?  I will post a pic of one if I can get it to transfer here.

 

And also that headlight arrangement too.

 

Asking a Packard guy/gal to explain the differences, here. Google a 1958 Packard Station Wagon and look at those pics.

 

intimeold

 

 

[FLYER15015]

The stacked fins make me think of the Studebaker hawk series that had fiberglass fins tacked on.

Or did they take inspiration from Desoto ?

Just hope the guy who designed the tacked on headlights lives a long and miserable life........ 

[mike6024]

The seller admits, or says, in the advertisement that it's more of a Studebaker. And the hood is not rusty. I was amused the fenders are rusty, but the hood is not. Why would that be?

 

Although rather rough around the edges, this 1958 Packard Wagon is one of approximately 149 produced. Built in a time when Packard and Studebaker were merging, these Packards unfortunately, were little more than Studebakers with some extra body bits tacked on.. On this particular car, the additional fins and quad headlights are obvious add-ons. The hood, front facia and fins are fiberglass, the headlight pods are metal.

Edited March 20, 2020 by mike6024 (see edit history)

[mercer09]

IF IT WERE FREE- i WOULDNT WANT IT...................

[B Jake Moran]

13 hours ago, stude24 said:

That Packard seems like a great buy at that price, but as we've seen post war Packard sedans are not high on the desirability list right now and that won't likely improve much in the near future. It's a shame. 

 

I can’t agree more. People usually lump these in with regular pregnant Elephants when in fact these were the senior line Packard in 1948. Those interiors alone were hand fitted masterpieces that cost a solid $15k to restore today.  Longer wheelbase.  I am no longer in the hobby but I have the money and would make an $8000 offer on this and if accepted just enjoy the heck out of it as is.  
 

A well restored one can still get $30 k but the buyers pool is small. 

[B Jake Moran]

6 hours ago, mike6024 said:

The seller admits, or says, in the advertisement that it's more of a Studebaker. And the hood is not rusty. I was amused the fenders are rusty, but the hood is not. Why would that be?

 

Although rather rough around the edges, this 1958 Packard Wagon is one of approximately 149 produced. Built in a time when Packard and Studebaker were merging, these Packards unfortunately, were little more than Studebakers with some extra body bits tacked on.. On this particular car, the additional fins and quad headlights are obvious add-ons. The hood, front facia and fins are fiberglass, the headlight pods are metal.

The hood and fascia are Fiberglass as noted in the content above. 

[Steve_Mack_CT]

I guess weird has its place.  That said, it seems these cars did for Packard what the TR7 did for Triumph. 

[stude24]

You have to wonder if the ugliness was done on purpose to drive the remaining Packard dealers our of business, so Studebaker could exit Packard  production without breach of contract law suits from the dealers.

[Matt Harwood]

The Packard/Studebaker styling post-merger was actually done on a shoestring budget in 1957 when Dick Teague was tasked with making existing Studebakers look like Packards. Prior to this, Studebaker was trying to purchase bodies from Ford to fill with their own mechanicals and put unique front and rear fascias on them, but Ford executives decided that the cars would still look too similar. At the last minute, Studebaker management said to Dick Teague, "You have $3 and 30 minutes to make us a prototype," although he actually had about three months and at least $500. He re-used a lot of older Packard parts, which is why the taillights are familiar. Still a Studebaker, but visually distinctive enough that they could limp Packard along for another year or two. 

 

Someone else re-redesigned the cars for '58 and just added the bolt-on fins and headlight pods just to make them look different from the '57s. Obviously that didn't work very well.

 

As for the dealers, I think most were required at some point to be both Packard AND Studebaker dealerships, so the death of Packard didn't necessarily put them all out of business at once--most survived a few more years selling only Studebakers.

[8E45E]

12 hours ago, intimeold said:

Ok, I am curious!

 

Some pics have the double fins and some pics don't.  What is the reason for this?  I will post a pic of one if I can get it to transfer here

 

 

Only the 1958 sedans, J-body hardtops and station wagons had that 'double-fin':  https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/10322-studebaker-packard/page4?10030-Studebaker-Packard/=&highlight=packards+sacremento&page=2   , while the Packard Hawk did not.   1957 Packards did not have the 'double-fin' treatment.

 

Craig

[8E45E]

13 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

The Packard/Studebaker styling post-merger was actually done on a shoestring budget in 1957 when Dick Teague was tasked with making existing Studebakers look like Packards. Prior to this, Studebaker was trying to purchase bodies from Ford to fill with their own mechanicals and put unique front and rear fascias on them, but Ford executives decided that the cars would still look too similar. At the last minute, Studebaker management said to Dick Teague, "You have $3 and 30 minutes to make us a prototype," although he actually had about three months and at least $500. He re-used a lot of older Packard parts, which is why the taillights are familiar. Still a Studebaker, but visually distinctive enough that they could limp Packard along for another year or two. 

 

Someone else re-redesigned the cars for '58 and just added the bolt-on fins and headlight pods just to make them look different from the '57s. Obviously that didn't work very well.

 

As for the dealers, I think most were required at some point to be both Packard AND Studebaker dealerships, so the death of Packard didn't necessarily put them all out of business at once--most survived a few more years selling only Studebakers.

That 'someone else' was S-P's in-house stylist, Randall Farout. at the urging of Roy Hurley of Curtiss-Wright fame which was a major stockholder in S-P at the time.   One must keep in mind, the '57-58 Packard line was supposed to be an 'interim' thing until the banks and financial institutions had enough confidence in them to loan them money to build a 'real' Packard again, which of course, never happened.  The did try all avenues, including a restyled Facel Vega, until Mercedes Benz objected, which S-P was distributing in North America at the time.  https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/27771-interesting-mercedes-benz-article

 

One of Richard Teague's final efforts while still at Packard in Detroit was to redesign the '56 Lincoln body shell to appear like a Packard: https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/12586-is-it-a-rumor

 

Craig

[frank carangelo]

Here is  photo o the 58 wagon I pulled out of a warehouse in 2006.. It was a very unusual mix of parts.. 

The photo is after we cleaned it ,touched up the paint and reconditioned it mechanically ....

This car drove remarkably well!  The Studebaker Drivers club was very helpful and was able to provide both knowledge and parts .

I sold this car in 2007.. lost track of it when it was re- sold on e-bay a few years latter....

I wounder where it is today.. 

My best wish's to all during these trying times.......... Stay well......

 

Frank.

[lump]

Whew! That car is wonderfully ugly. Cool, because it is uglier even than an AMC Pacer. It would be such fun to drive it to car events. And just think of the cool names you could put on special license plates, such as "DUBLUGLY" or "BADSTYLIN" or.... LOL

 

The only way it would be cooler is if it were painted salmon pink and lavender two-tone, etc. 

 

Glad I don't have the time, space, or money for it right now! 

[TerryB]

I have purchased many new Suzuki motorcycles and found that Suzuki used parts bin engineering, that is, using whatever parts that they had too much of on hand to make a new motorcycle model.  Maybe Studebaker-Packard had the same idea?  Use what you got lying around to make something new.  Sure looks like that to me.  It’s so ugly it’s cool!

[1912Staver]

There used to be one of these stored above the shop where I worked in the late 1970's . It belonged to a fellow who had been a Studebaker dealer right up to the end. Low miles and decent condition. But in storage for at least a decade at that point. 

I am not sure what eventually happened to it but I imagine it is still around.

I actually sort of like the Hawk . The wagon is a bit too weird even for me.

 

Greg in Canada

[FLYER15015]

Well, with one headlight it looks a bit better, but having lived on the Mississippi river (Quad Cities), I still can't get over how much the front end looks like a big catfish.

At least the "Hawks" had a better grille.

 

Mike in Colorado

[C Carl]

Dat ting "looks like it was whupped wit a urgly stick". But to put it in the context of "The Fin Period" of automotive evolution, late '50s, garish and urgly was "in". And of course, garish and urgly is "in" among some circles these days. Not around here, though. Anyway, I like the Antiques and Classics. The Fin Period did offer up a not urgly '57 Eldo Bi'z to me one day, and I put many happy miles on it.    -   Carl 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by C Carl
Urgly STICK, not stock. Urgly stick. Looks like it was whupped wit a urgly STICK (see edit history)

[Erska]

Here are a couple photos of one of these 1958 gems, as seen at the Carmel Mission Classic show during 2018 Monterey Car Week.  The owner told me it was a one-family car, recently repainted.  He seemed really happy that I appreciated its oddity.  

[5219]

I always admired the way that they used up the leftover 1956 tail lights while making the fins bigger for 1957.

[mikesbrunn]

I have been in love with brass era and ccca classiss for 40 years but I am starting to look at 50's cars.  the uglier the better.  this is a possibility or a late 50's chyrsler wagon

mike

[junkyardjeff]

Years ago there was one in a local private junkyard,I thought that thing was very ugly and no way would have been interested in it but would like to have one now.

[Pete Phillips]

On 3/20/2020 at 11:04 AM, lump said:

 

 

The only way it would be cooler is if it were painted salmon pink and lavender two-tone, etc. 

 

 

There is, or used to be, a '58 Packard two-door hardtop that was painted exactly those colors, parked along Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, in front of one of the Art Deco hotels--probably owned by the hotel owner/manager. Somewhere I have a photo of it. It was spectacular!

[JamesR]

On 3/19/2020 at 11:16 AM, Matt Harwood said:

I love wagons and I love weird stuff, so I obviously love this Packard.

That said, it might also be the flat-out homeliest car ever created. It's like the three blind men tasked with identifying an elephant were also assigned to build a car. The wildly oversized fins, the tacked-on headlight pods, the curiously anti-sporty hood scoop, the catfish grille, and, of course, the price tag that seems to have misplaced a decimal point...

 

 

Nevertheless, I can see it in pink being a show-stopper about $120,000 from now.

 

 

 

I agree that this car is both incredibly cool and desirable, yet at the same time strange looking and homely. IMO, if you don't embrace the aesthetic of homeliness to one degree or another, you really can't like most American cars from the late 1950's or very early '60's. This Packard is admittedly on the extreme end of things, though. There are some beautiful exceptions like the Corvette and first and third gen. T-Birds and others, but let's face it: most American cars of that era were a celebration of excess, at least in terms of styling. I'm just old enough to remember a time (from the mid sixties to early seventies) when late fifties styling was considered vulgar, dated and uncool by most of the public (those who weren't car guys, that is🙂.) The nostalgia craze redeemed late fifties car styling and most people still like it to this day.

Edited March 22, 2020 by JamesR (see edit history)

[1912Staver]

 

Yes, I remember well that in about 1970 ; I was 12 at the time, that many adults would come to the conclusion that people driving things like 1958 Buicks had to be only a small step from being on social assistance.  Or teenagers.

One of the " kool girls " at my Junior high had a boyfriend who drove a 1960 Buick convert. I thought it was a very nice car but I bet he could not have got more than $100.00 if he tried to sell it.

There was a huge scrap yard down on the waterfront  circa 1972 that had a pile of  1950's cars. About 10 cars high and at least 50 cars by 50 cars. Probably many were driven there.

Greg in Canada

[8E45E]

There is another '58 Packard wagon for sale in the Marple estate auction:  https://www.proxibid.com/VanDerBrink-Auctions-LLC/Collector-Cars-Guns-Antique-TRactors-MOre/event-catalog/175859?p=4&sort=0#cnTb

 

Craig

[JACK M]

2 hours ago, 8E45E said:

There is another '58 Packard wagon for sale in the Marple estate auction:  https://www.proxibid.com/VanDerBrink-Auctions-LLC/Collector-Cars-Guns-Antique-TRactors-MOre/event-catalog/175859?p=4&sort=0#cnTb

 

Craig

 

Geez, that's where all those things went.

I would love to be turned loose with some of these.