My grandfather's car around 1915

[JRHaelig]

The hanging flag is quite impressive and actually old at the time.

 

It has 46 stars. Oklahoma became the 46th in 1907. New Mexico (47) and Arizona (48) joined in January and February of 1912.

[C Carl]

I love it ! On special occasions, I display the 48 version to which I pledged allegiance up into my early 'teens. Have some period correct 48s for my cars when they are shown.   -   Carl 

 

 

[CHuDWah]

On 6/5/2020 at 9:26 AM, bryankazmer said:

since the bodies appear to be two piece, is it possible to mount the winter rear with the summer front to make a town car version?  Anyone have ideas on who the coachbuilder was?

 

 

Or the summer rear with the winter front to make a landaulet...

 

[CHuDWah]

On 6/5/2020 at 10:30 AM, W_Higgins said:

It was a neat concept and is rare to see in photos today.

 

At the very start of the 1910 model year in late 1909 even Ford suggested this in their advertising but it seems to have gone no further than that.

 

 

I wonder if the "no other expense than the cost of the body" included seasonal changes as long as one owned the car or one-time-only.

[Ivan Saxton]

You can see an array of photos of the two similar models,  the 48 and 38,  in Beverly Rae Kimes  massively comprehensive book  on Packard that was published by Automobile Quarterly in the late 1970s.  I cannot recall seeing any of these at Harrah's when I went to USA in 1980.   I had camera and  distintive overalls,  and permission to go inside the ropes, but not to touch the cars.   There was so much there that I walked past cars that I would have spent hours examining it they had been here.  After Auburn I went to Springfield Vermont on invitation from Morris and Libby Burrows to help Morris prepare the Mercer we used for the Glidden Tour.  We stayed at a place not far from the Mt Washington Hotel, because I think Morris may have been particular about who he may have liked to associate with.  There was another couple there who Morris and Libby knew; and I remember Morris asking Frank if he had found anyone interested to buy the big Packard Six of that era that he had advertised.     Looking at the photos in that Packard book, my guess is that it was one of the slightly smaller 38 model Packards that Lydia's family owned.  I look at the proportions of engine length and wheelbase  compared to the front seat of the body. Ed has thoughtfully posted photo of a most beautiful 48 Packard to compare.

[John_S_in_Penna]

8 hours ago, edinmass said:

It’s likely he had a chauffeur or driver, as the cars were complicated...

Did the family have a cook, maid, or housekeeper? That’s definitely a top one tenth of one percent lifestyle in that era....

 

Before the advent of many time-saving appliances,

the labor market was quite different.  Laundry day

could be a full day's work.  And as Ed noted, people

in the professional class who decided to try a car

sometimes employed a chauffeur.   The economy 

was such that servants were more affordable, and

it wasn't uncommon for middle-class families to have

a servant, often a young woman before she married.

A friend of the family back then was a medical doctor,

and they had 6.

 

Grand estates, such as those on Long Island, had dozens.

One large estate employed 60 men just to maintain the

large and beautiful grounds.  The family of one man I know

had 3 chauffeurs for their large family.

 

By World War I, the labor market was changing.  I read

one account that said people were doing things themselves

which once they employed other people to do.

Edited June 7, 2020 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[edinmass]

In my hometown of Ludlow Mass, which had one of the largest mill complexes in the world, the CEO had a Olds Limited in 1910. The chauffeur was a college educated engineer who also did part time work at the mill when not driving. Mechanical skills were not common before WWI. If you had money, the simple solution was a full time “man” who also could deal with your estates boiler, the new domestic electricity, air conditioning  and household appliances, There weren’t any service stations of experienced technicians available on call or short notice. 

[Lydia]

Thank you for the history lessons here.  I am learning a great deal!

[edinmass]

3 hours ago, Lydia said:

Thank you for the history lessons here.  I am learning a great deal!

 

Lydia.......it was a time when an automobile wasn’t transportation, it was a new technology in the time of great changes. Similar to the computer and internet happening today. WWI interrupted the quickly changing technology of the day delaying it for almost 10 years after the war. People were trying to figure out what would work and how to live with it. Telephones were becoming much more common, radio went from the laboratory to the sitting room, cars became everyday common items, centeral heat and plumbing were also on the rise; and the Wright Brothers changed the world.. By 1928 when things again started to takeoff in the world of technology, The great depression hit , and delayed everything again for another 10 years. People who were born in the 1880’s lived to see more change (good & bad) than any other generation before or after. Amazing times.

Edited June 7, 2020 by edinmass (see edit history)

[8E45E]

3 hours ago, edinmass said:

 

Lydia.......it was a time when an automobile wasn’t transportation, it was a new technology in the time of great changes. Similar to the computer and internet happening today. WWI interrupted the quickly changing technology of the day delaying it for almost 10 years after the war. People were trying to figure out what would work and how to live with it. Telephones were becoming much more common, radio went from the laboratory to the sitting room, cars became everyday common items, centeral heat and plumbing were also on the rise; and the Wright Brothers changed the world.. By 1928 when things again started to takeoff in the world of technology, The great depression hit , and delayed everything again for another 10 years. People who were born in the 1880’s lived to see more change (good & bad) than any other generation before or after. Amazing times.

Refrigeration which kept food fresh was another major innovation.

 

I will say the second world war stifled R&D (at least for consumer goods) more than the Great Depression did. Some of the greatest advancements and other achievements were made in the decade from 1930 to 1940.  The automobile no longer resembled a box on wheels with a separate add-on trunk by 1939.

 

Craig

[LI_BENTLEY]

A friend of mine restored a 1910 car in the 70,s and restored the touring body kept the closed body and when he sold it, the new owner restored it again with the closed body, the touring body went to another chassis

[Lydia]

That must have been quite the project!  Thanks for sharing!