1948 Packard Victoria Convertible Eight by Vignale awarded top honors at Greenwich

[f.f.jones]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/1948-packard-victoria-by-vignale-wins-best-of-show-at-greenwich/ar-AAY7nPZ?ocid=mailsignout&li=BBnb7Kz

[ILIKECARS53]

The car was once red.  Black is a much better color for the car.

Edited June 6, 2022 by ILIKECARS53 (see edit history)

[bryankazmer]

I agree. It suits a coachbuilt Packard much better.  Bright red rarely works on large cars.

[Steve Moskowitz]

Too bad they spelled his name wrong (Marano)!  Could not happen to a better guy and car enthusiast.  He is a regular at Hershey and usually brings two of his great cars.

Edited June 6, 2022 by Steve Moskowitz
can't type! (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

The Italian styling of that 1948 Packard is leagues ahead

of Packard's regular styling that year!  Clean and distinctive,

not at all ungainly, and still maintaining Packard's grille

for identification.

 

For 1958, when Edsel designers wanted an upright grille with

some horizontal front elements too, they should have looked

to this as a model.  The Packard shows that such a theme

could have been accomplished with grace and beauty.

[Walt G]

Nice to know it was on display, but resembles many of the cars that was the trend in European styling of that era - all ( for me at least) seemed to blend together and looked so similar; kind of like today's modern transportation - all cars have rounded hero sandwich envelope styling , like a hard candy that has been sucked on, everything is painted silver or white .................it reminds me of when I was a kid in the 1950s early 1960s , if a car approached on the road you could immediately know what it was due to its unique character of styling , now you can't tell where  it is made in the USA, Europe, Asia -  all designs lost much of what made them unique to a particular marque . IMHO, I am happy the car exists, is appreciated, has been restored and preserved .

Edited June 6, 2022 by Walt G (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

9 hours ago, Walt G said:

; kind of like today's modern transportation - all cars have rounded hero sandwich envelope styling , like a hard candy that has been sucked on, everything is painted silver or white .................it reminds me of when I was a kid in the 1950s early 1960s , if a car approached on the road you could immediately know what it was due to its unique character of styling , now you can't tell where  it is made in the USA, Europe, Asia -  all designs lost much of what made them unique to a particular marque .

Walt, didn't Ken Purdy write that when you were a kid? I dare you to pull your copy off the shelf and read it again.

 

[Studemax]

Reminds me a bit of a Facel Vega for some reason.

[1937hd45]

1 hour ago, Studemax said:

Reminds me a bit of a Facel Vega for some reason.

I can see that, also reminds me of smaller mid 1950's sports car, until a side shot with people reveals its true size. 

[58L-Y8]

Iirc, the chassis is a 1939 120 which did not get a body until this was created for it after the war.   

 

With regards to the design, it's very much in the postwar Italian idiom: low, clean, spare, though if it weren't for the grille, it could be any marque.  To my eyes, Italian design of that era was best suited to small sports cars but their feel for designing on longer, larger chassis was lacking.  Let the brickbats fly!  

Edited June 7, 2022 by 58L-Y8
syntax corrected (see edit history)

[Walt G]

Thanks Bernie, I know the book by Ken Purdy you mention and probably have one around here someplace.  My observations are from decades of research and studying design and teaching art to over 1.000 kids a week. I used to see Ken Purdy show up at a car show once a year in Sept. in Ridgefield, Ct. An annual great pre WWII car show ( that started off as a 1935 or earlier car show) held by the Fairfield County Region of the HCCA. Purdy would show up in a green Bugatti that he owned.

[bryankazmer]

1 hour ago, 58L-Y8 said:

Iirc, the chassis is a 1939 120 which did not get a body until this was created for it after the war.   

 

With regards to the design, it's very much in the postwar Italian idiom: low, clean, spare, though if it weren't for the grille, it could be any marque.  To my eyes, Italian design of that era was best suited to small sports cars but their feel for designing on longer, larger chassis was lacking.  Let the brickbats fly!  

note that many of the references regarding what this car resembles were introduced AFTER the Vignale Packard was designed

[Gunsmoke]

What a great loking car for the period, reminds me of the earliest Ferrari/Cisitalia stuff. It is always interesting to look back on stunning designs like this from 1948 and wonder why Packard (or any of the then Big 3) didn't learn anything from it. Instead, in the following 10 year period American manufacturers went to BIG (overhangs, bulbous), strange shapes (jet age, toothy grills,) chrome, fins, and lipstick/makeup of all shades. The rationale was simple: The buying public were not into tasteful and thoughtful design, but rather thirsted for something different every year, and eventually the more ostentatious the better (by late 50's). By comparison, the European consumer was much more into refined design, and thus many European marques followed this " less is more" design philosophy. The skin on a car should just neatly wrap the bones and muscle, no more, no less.

[bryankazmer]

The more progressive European designs, yes.  But there were some (most British sedans, Mercedes) who clung to prewar styling ideas.

Consider that Jaguar was selling the stunning new XK120 alongside the the Mk IV (nice but styling right out of 1935).