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Was this Packard ever built?


Xander Wildeisen

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To get back to the scale model first shown, I believe that this was for sale at Hershey in the Chocolate Field at someones space about 10+ years ago? Perhaps there were two models of the same scale/size and the other one was an open body style? I probably have a photo of it someplace. I really liked it but at the time the same amount of $ would have bought new tires and tubes for my real Packard so I went with the tires!

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8 hours ago, 1935Packard said:

I don't recall seeing this. Maybe the reference is to the Sport Coupes that LeBaron offered for Packard in '34 (aka the "Aero Coupes")?


 

Im not a Packard guy, but a I have been made aware the person who is offering this “Factory Model” is, how shal we say................A CAVET EMPTOR SELLER.............and I was told many to most of his items are modern, or reworked old stuff that’s modified.................The information was given to me by someone who made purchase and then info what they bought was never offered or made by the company indicated .......by the actual owner of the company. 

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I had the pleasure of a ride several times in a LeBaron coupe like that ( the light colored one now in the Bahre collection in Maine) decades ago when the great guy who owned it John Linhardt of Queens, NY had the car - John bought it from the original owner Mr. Davidoff of Roslyn, NY.   The cars run as good as they look - at least John's car did, as one memorable ride was to the HCCA annual car show in Ridgefield, Ct. . I got the back seat and not only was the ride smooth but if you blinked at the start of the journey on long island you were almost immediately in Ct. in what seemed like seconds later! Car was fast! And John Linhardt drove it like it was meant to.

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1 hour ago, edinmass said:


 

Im not a Packard guy, but a I have been made aware the person who is offering this “Factory Model” is, how shal we say................A CAVET EMPTOR SELLER.............and I was told many to most of his items are modern, or reworked old stuff that’s modified.................The information was given to me by someone who made purchase and then info what they bought was never offered or made by the company indicated .......by the actual owner of the company. 

 

Very true. Seller is selling stuff from the person that had it made. He is well known; has made many, many, many period-looking models, and a few full-sized versions as well. All cool stuff, but the seller if this stuff is purposely wording her ads to make it sound as though the stuff was made by Packard Motor Company.

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1 hour ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

If scale models were built for all makes. Did proto type built cars have a scale model made for them? Is there a factory scale model for these one off cars that were built?

The styling models were done by every Automobile Company, either in house, or commissioned to a Coach Builder. The styling department would have an assortment  of models  to show Upper Management for their approval on design, colors, trim, etc. They do show up, from time to time at Hershey, and are truly works of art. That Packard is a pretty car. 

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Eyeball the design...........poor shape, finder skirts and logo like that on a 110 series six? The whole design is awkward, and poorly executed. Never mind the grill, bumper, and headlight details. Only an amateur would get stuck on this thing..........

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Dont know the seller or buyer so I wont knock on it too bad, but from the original post ( off this forum, as I dont do FB, so I have no idea what the whole ad may say) it doesnt really say its from the time period of the auto. It alludes to Packard having blueprints. Ad may be deceptive but not necessarily an untruth, hence the comments above. It looks pretty cool and someone did a nice job with it. I would not have a problem displaying it on my shelf, however I would not pay more than about $50 for this. Agree with Ed's comments on the lack of detail. 

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Hard to tell scale and thus size, I do not do face book either - no one wants to see my old face and neither do I every morning looking in the mirror when half asleep. 😬

I think this has to be the same model I saw at Hershey many years (decade?) ago in the Chocolate field on the west side of an isle about mid way. Same price then as now, was fairly appealing due just to the size as the one I saw was about 18 to 20 inches long. I liked it and would have bought it but my guess if it is the same one and the same size as the one I saw it is worth about $250.

I didn't buy it obviously but about 15 minutes later did buy a great 1930 Packard grille guard made of bronze and brass just because it was so beautifully made "in the era" that now is fitted to a car I bought 4 years ago and sits in my garage about 20 feet away from where I am typing this.

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It was a common thing to make 3/8 scale clay models or sometimes plaster casts of proposed cars. Those that were approved, went on to a full scale clay model and if this was approved a full size working model or prototype was made. If the photo of the Packard model maker shows a wooden model that is old school, and may be a model made to stand more handling than a clay model, such as one made for wind tunnel testing. Pierce Arrow started making clay models around 1910.

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A lot of wood models were made even with the start of the use of clay for models. Briggs Body Co. into the early 1930s used primarily wood models, I have many 8 x 10 PR photos that were taken by Briggs of their wood models that came from the factory archives as well as hundreds of others of the bodies they built on experimental basis because of their ability to stamp out all steel bodies. All photos mounted on linen for durability purposes. Franklin Car Co. never used clay for any examples of anything , it was all wood scale examples made by their pattern department , same goes for many coach builders . They had the pattern makers on staff to make patterns for parts so when requested to make a scale model for a body or fender they did indeed do that. I have some of those wood patterns  and a large model of a body that was made for Franklin in the series 10 era - 1920-24.

In the early 1970s ,many of the former Franklin employees were still alive and I had much conversation with them about all aspects of their personal involvement/jobs. A first person insight to what really happened , not just what was reported at the time, or even at a later date. Information from the test drivers, Chief draftsman , , chief engineer etc were very interesting and eye opening to say the least. Marmon built scale models of their cars for display in showrooms and auto shows in the post WWI era as well. All of what I have stated here is based on first person conversation with the people that experienced it and were there when it was taking place 90-100 years ago. I got started early asking questions of those people that were there when they were in their 70's and I was in my 20's fifty or more years ago. To many stories, to much period paper and photographs here to ever get it all down to record .

WG

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