Values

[Twitch]

Whoa!- Hemmings Classic Car has been running a monthly section on future collectables. Yeah they have things like early Rivieras as sought after but also the Maverick and Granada now that we're rushing headlong to 80s mediocrity cars.

The June issue has post-war to early 60s cars and they regard most of them as crap basically, that will not have a reasonable future value.

"1955 Packard 400 HT Book vlaue: $10-14,000 -as their owners die so will its value."

"1948 Packard Deluxe Book vlaue $7-13,000 -It'll always say 'you've arrived,' but without any money."

They go on to nix a bunch of cars that certainly have more desirability than the barf made in the 80s. I think they're on drugs. I've never been to a show or cruise in where people would rather look at a 1975 Maverick instead of a 1950 Dodge. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

[K8096]

I don't see the value of V-8 Packards going down at all. They have more of a following than mid 50's Lincolns, but not quite the following of Cadillac of course. They have modern style V-8 engines, power windows and power brakes & basically drive like a modern car. There will be owners of pre war Packards who as they get older, want a more modern type car to drive. The values of almost all 50's cars have gone up significantly in the last 10 years, why should Packard be any different? I don't subscribe to Hemmings Classic Car and never will. I belong to the club that puts out the "real" Classic Car magazine.

[Guest Randy Berger]

OK, don't keep us in suspense. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> What club do you belong to?? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

Randy: I presume that K8096 has membership with the Classic Car Club of America, just as I do. A club which is run by people of integrity and honesty, more than I can say for the current leadership running PAC. The persons most guilty of this being the current editor of the TPC and the current VP of Publications for PAC.

John F. Shireman

[Guest]

K8096. Go to your local news stand and pick up a copy of Hemmings Classic Car, I think that you might find it very interesting reading.

John F. Shireman

[Steamcar]

I have 3 Packards and a Stanley and the CCA doesn't like any of them.

Jim Showers

[K8096]

I do look at it when I'm at the bookstore at the mall, but I simply belong to too many clubs to subscribe to another magazine. I will admit they had good coverage of Pebble Beach last fall. While we all have our favorites, I don't think it's right for a magazine like that to try to say certain cars will lose value. Some may increase in value faster than other of course, but I don't see anything actually losing value. While the junior series 4 door bathtub models mentioned in the article at the beginning of this thread may not have a huge following, there will always be people who have owned Fords or Chevy's for a long time & want to step up into something more luxurious. Look at e bay. It seems there one or two new bathtub Packards on there every week coming out of the woodwork. Why Hemmings Classic Car would try to discourage people from having an interest in these cars I have no idea.

[Dr Morbius]

I have 2 - '54 Packards with the straight 8 , what are they ? "Chopped Liver" according to the magazine? My very first CLASSIC car was a '50 bathtub { boy do I hate that name , I mean pregnant elephant - nah , hate that too } Hows about we call it the "FLOWTHRU" Packard ! That's good........ OK , but anyway that was a fun to drive , easy to take care of and as reliable as Jack Bauer. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

.....................Steve

[Guest CaptainBristol]

We can wail and moan all we want about how others "unfairly" and "unreasonably" discount the value of our assets (i.e. our Packards), but the complaining will do nothing. The only thing that will reverse this perception will be to make Packard ownership as attractive as possible to the collectors who will succeed us.

That is why I have opted share my collection of Packard data, gratis. My goal is to make every bit of Packard-related information 100% available for free download over the Internet. If I spend $1,000 acquiring (and therefore "squandering") this information to share for free...so what? The value of my Packard will be enhanced and its long-term survival will be more likely. Right now I have spent more than $20,000 on my car...and it's certain that number will climb significantly as I tackle the body restoration. I firmly believe that making EVERY Packard-related document available for free will only make my investment more attractive to the next generation. Hoarding and guarding that info will only assure the extinction of the breed.

All the best,

Mark in Alaska

[Dr Morbius]

Wise words , and very true MajorBristol - remember I gave you a promotion a while back for something else you did. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

.................Steve

[Guest Albert]

That is one reason i have tryed to pick up all the information i can for the Packards I own as it will become harder to find it later as the years go by. I have been collecting Parts manuals for replacement parts, ie ignition, and electrical & brakes, as well as have the Sams manuals for the radios for 47 to 56, just to help keep our cars running for the future. One person i talked with said we don't own our cars, we only keep them for future generations to enjoy, after all when we pass on, somone else will take our place and hopefully do the same as us.

[Guest Randy Berger]

Amen Albert, I was lucky to get a shop manual for a 56 back in 1961 when I bought my first 400. It was an education just reading it. I sent away for an original parts manual from George Hamlin(sp) and pored over it noticing that a lot of things were special for the Caribbeans. I have a friend with a 1950 Packard and I read his shop and parts manuals, but that shop manual leaves much to be desired. The printed word will always be the place to go for information whether it is in manuals, STBs or here on the forum.

[Loyd Smith]

I, too, am in favour of a promotion for the captain.

One would think that the editor of an automotive magazine would be required to possess some degree of objectivity and realise that much of the generally accepted, "bad reputation," of the V8 Packards resulted from word of mouth information passed on by owners who tried to have them worked on by unqualified mechanics. Proprietary parts and tools, notwithstanding (all manufacturers were, and many still are, good at this - it was, by no means, peculiar to PMCC), if you took your Dusenberg to a Ford mechanic (or your local shop), it was more than likely that it would have something WRONG done to it. If you took your '55 or '56 Packard to someone who wasn't familiar with the torsion-level system, Ultramatic transmissions, etc, chances are that he'd bad-mouth it even if he was able to fix it. There are a lot more examples of cars that gained, "bad," reputations this way than just Packards. Again, you'd think that the editor of an automotive magazine would know this but, obviously not - or he simply wasn't able to objectively look at the situation around his own experience.

[Guest imported_49packard]

Speaking of Hemmings-I have been impressed by the mag's attempt to reinvent itself. The articles remind me of Popular Mech/Elect/ etc plus the ads for services etc. There was an article in the last issue about an airplane kit powered by a model A engine.

[R W Burgess]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <span style="font-weight: bold">There was an article in the last issue about an airplane kit powered by a model A engine. </span> </div></div> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

There's a plan for you. A hot rodded airplane put together by me. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

My wife would love the life insurance money. It's double indemninity, you know! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Wayne

[joe kastellic]

Brain, I remember that article we as Packard owners are always going to have put up with the "Big 3 mindset" in the old car hobby that the reason the indepedents went out business was they all made an inferior product not that lack of sales was the main reason, BTW my freind who is a do or die Ford man loves the way my Packard rides and handles and he honestly admits that the 56 Lincon had more Quality control problems than Packard ask any person that really knows there fords and they all will tell you that the 56 Lincon is one car that you might want to avoid because of just transmission problems alone!! lack of knoledge is a terible thing especilly in the Auto business even today!!!

[mrpushbutton]

JoeK--amen, and amen! How many American companies that produced a truly quality product that went under can you name? It's an old story. Quanity first is our American creed, was,is, will be. The Japanese forced US auto compaines to get a better handle on quality. The "big three" mentality killed the "little 5" (when was the last time you heard that expression?), that, and the '52-'54 Ford-GM price war. At my place of work ( <span style="font-style: italic">za Daimler und za Kryssler</span>) we say "don't call us part of the "big 3", those other two are losers".

[Twitch]

I think the consuming lust for climbing values is an artificially manufactured facet of auto journalism. I'd be curious to know how many specialty car owners bought and/or built their vehicles solely for investment portfolio purposes. I'd wager it is a miniscule percentage. When you look at all the weird automobilia out there it's obvious that the overwhelming majority are simply labors or purchases of love. Why would anyone drool over a 3 tone painted '59 Dodge 4 door sedan with a flathead 6 and an automatic? Not me. Well it's great that someone does. The diversity is what makes it all fun.

I simply don't think that escalulating values equates to what the hobby is all about. Even people born after the 60s era don't look back with fondness to 1975-1990 autos. They like the 30s-60s cars like everyone else does.

Whether 55-56 Packard values will die when their owners do is inconsequential. I believe the interest in the vehicles will remain.