Showroom
Packard photos in a variety of categories. Hover your mouse over images to view a possible larger version.
If you've any pictures that should be displayed here, [javascript protected email address].
- Factory
- Proving Ground
- Automobiles
- Trucks
- Professional
- Taxi Cabs
- Buses
- Trolly Bus
- Race Cars
- Show Cars
- Restoration: Before & After
- Unusual...
- Old Photos
- The War Years
- Boats
- Airplanes
- Matchbooks
- Wrecks & Salvage Yards
- Collections
- Hood Ornaments
- Toys — Packard Theme
- Packard Sports Booklets
- Showroom Banners
- Motor Annuals
- Plates
- Advertising Art
- Dealer Items
- 1999 Packard Centennial
- Lapel Pins
- Jewelry
- Dealerships
- Dealership Signs
Factory
Photos from the Warren, Ohio years, the Detroit, Michigan years and what the Detroit Factory looks like today.
Warren, Ohio
Early Packard Electric Factory Photos
Detroit, Michigan
Packard Factory Photos
The Detroit Factory Today
Recent views of the Packard Factory which is now part of the Motor City Industrial Park.
Proving Ground
Photos of the Packard Proving Ground
Automobiles
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
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1918
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1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943–45 Vehicles, Aircraft & Marine
The War Years
The Packard Motor Company answered the call during World War II and was dominant in several areas, notably for producing "Liberty Engines" such as the Rolls Royce Merlin aircraft engine and the Packard V-12 Marine engine for PT boats.
Packard produced 55,000 Rolls Royce Merlin aircraft engines.
Packard produced 12,000 Packard V-12 Marine engines for PT boats.
Packard continued to supply vehicles to the military used primarily as staff cars. Many Generals as well as Admirals had Packard Limousines or Sedans (See 1943-45 Old Photos).
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
Trucks
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
Professional
1922
1923
No images to show
1924
No images to show
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
Hearse
Hearse
Hearse
Hearse
Hearse
Hearse
Hearse
Hearse
Hearse
Hearse
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1946
1947
No images to show
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
Taxi Cabs
1941
1942
1946
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1947
1948
1949
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1950
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Buses
Trolley Bus
Not many enthusiasts, motor bus or antique automobile, realize that the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit put into operation one of the earliest trackless trolley coach operations in North America...
Packard, even before the 1920s, had been a major producer of chassis for large capacity bus bodies. The company's later decision to concentrate only on private automobile production ended what could have possibly been a major career in the modern commercial vehicle field.
The first Packard trolley bus was built in 1921, and demonstrated over the experimental line of the Detroit Department of Street Railways. These tests included a vehicle of the Standard Imperial design, and a unit built by the St. Louis Car Company. This first Packard sported a body built by the J. G. Brill Company, and propulsion equipment by Westinghouse.
Later Packard built another demonstration trolley coach for Detroit. Little information is known about this except it too had a Brill body, and was identical to units delivered to Toronto. The notable exception on this bus was the more modern fenders of any Packard unit theretofore produced. Photographs on this page show this detail.
The most interesting part of the Packard trolley coach endeavor was the installation of four units in Toronto during 1922. Actually, the Toronto use of trolley buses was also in the nature of an experiment. The transit commission was deciding on a program of revamping the existing surface lines, and to provide a connection service. In an effort to determine the best vehicle, these four trolley buses operated with some gasoline-electric and regular gasoline mechanical buses. The fare was 7-cents, or four tickets for 25-cents. At North Yonge and Merton Streets, the trolley coaches connected with surface lines to provide a ten minute service to the Eglinton section of the city. The route was from North Yonge Street, along Merton Street, to Mount Pleasant Road to Eglinton Avenue, a total distance of one and one quarter miles. The vehicles were housed in a building on Merton Street.
The trolley buses consisted of Packard three and a half ton chassis, type ED, on which was mounted a Brill steel motor bus body. They were assembled in Canada at the plant of the Packard Ontario Motor Car Company. The bodies were the standard type developed at the Kuhlman plant of the J. G. Brill Company. Motors were Westinghouse, type 508-A sleeve bearing style. The current collectors used on these buses were of a new type, developed by the R. D. Nuttall Company of Pittsburgh, known as the model W-805, consisting of the US 13-G base, a sectional pole, special polehead, swivel harp and wheel.
The control was of the automatic type - a master controller worked by the driver's foot operated a motor-driven sequence switch. The master controller had three operating positions: Starting, full series, and full parallel. These gave speeds of 5, 12, and 24 mph respectively. The total weight of all the electrical equipment on these buses came to 2,107 pounds.
Bus Information Office/Motor Bus Society 1966
Race Cars
Show Cars
Show Cars
Concept Cars
Restoration: Before & After!
Unusual
This page has early photos from the Warren, Ohio years, the Detroit, Michigan years and what the Detroit Factory looks like today.
Unusual
Very Unusual!!!
Old Photos
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943–45
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
No images to show
1957
1958
Miscellaneous
The War Years
Boats
Airplanes
Matchbooks
Wrecks & Salvage Yards
Collections
Hood Ornaments
Toys — Packard Theme
Toy Keystone Packards
Other Large Packard Toys
Scale Model Packard Toy Automobiles
Toy Packard Pedal Cars
Other Toy Items
Train
Boxcar
Packard Sports Booklets
Showroom Banners
Motor Annuals
The Annual Motor Show books are a warehouse of information for all model cars produced for that year, including Packard Motor Cars. The art deco covers are very innovative and colorful.
Plates
Advertising Art
Dealer Items
1999 Packard Centennial
Information and photos from the Packard 100th Anniversary Celebration in Warren, Ohio, on July 6, 1999.
Every effort has been made to present the Centennial without omissions, however, if an error is noted, or if you have any photos that we don't, please [javascript protected email address].
In Appreciation
In 1988, at the Birmingham, Alabama National Meet, Stuart Blond proposed Packard Centennial to the PAC Board of Trustees with a concept of responsibilities assigned to the various Packard organizations. It was rejected that year, and the next year as well. But, in 1990, the board accepted it, and Art James volunteered to run it. A press release was sent to "Old Cars Weekly," and they published it with the remark that they had never seen an event planned that far in advance. Over the following years, it was evident that this was too large of an event for one person, so the PAC Board of Trustees asked George Hamlin to Chair the Packard Centennial event. Art James became Chair of the Packard display, later called the "Magnum Opus." All Packard organizations were be invited to participate, not only PAC Regions. The Old Dominion Packard Club, the Eastern Packard Club, and the Ohio Region of the Classic Car Club of America plus representatives of the City of Warren, and the Trumbull County Convention & Visitors Bureau worked out the details over several years. The success of the 1999 Packard Centennial was due to the planning and organization by George Hamlin, Terry and Diana Martin & Art James as well as the hard work and assistance from the participating Packard organizations, Packard museums, the many other volunteers, and the City of Warren, Ohio. The work performed by all was in the Packard Motor Car Company tradition of excellence. All Packard enthusiasts worldwide extend their deepest appreciation for these exceptional efforts to effect the week-long celebration. Thanks to everyone involved.
Introduction
During the week of July 4 though July 9, 1999, Packard owners and enthusiasts gathered in Warren Ohio to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Packard Motor Car Company. The company, which was to become producer of one of the world's finest automobiles, came into being July 7, 1899 and its first automobile, the Model A, drove the streets of Warren, Ohio on November 6 that year. Packard made five cars that first year and continued to produce cars in Warren successfully for the next four years. In late 1903, Packard moved to new manufacturing facilities at the Mecca of the car industry, Detroit, Michigan. Packard continued crafting fine automobiles uninterrupted in Detroit, except for the war years 1943-44, until 1956 and then for another two years at the Studebaker plant in South Bend, Indiana and Hamilton, Ontario.
These pages spotlight only one day of the week-long celebration that was set aside to display the fine craftsmanship of Packards over the period 1899 – 1958. The display of Packard cars and trucks seen in Warren Ohio on July 6, 1999 was called an "MAGNUM OPUS" — a showing of the complete works of a noted craftsman — in this case a company building fine automobiles. To give full appreciation to the 60 years of design, innovation, construction, refinement and the ever-changing aesthetic of the Packard automobile, at least one car from each model year of car production was represented. Packard trucks were in attendance representative of the period of Packard truck production during the period 1901 through 1923. Many years will need more than one model to represent them and so the Magnum Opus may include two, perhaps, three or four automobiles of the same year.
The Selection Committee advising on the selection and soliciting of Packard owners to present their cars at the Magnum Opus were: Michael Barbush, Jr, PA; Dr. Charles Blackman, MI; Stuart Blond, NJ; John Grundy, CA; Fred Mauck, CA; Arthur James, ON; James Pearsall, NJ; Donald Peterson, GA; Patrick Phinney, CA; Don Sommer, MI; Bob Supina, TX; Robert Turnquist, NJ.
The Chronological Assembly
The chronological assembly of Packards is the backbone of the Magnum Opus. The aim of the Magnum Opus was to present at least one model representing each year Packard made automobiles. Packard introduced new models known by Series number after 1915 and the Series number changed only when sufficient changes and refinements had been introduced to the product. Model changes did not adhere with any pre-determined time of year. However, Packard recognized the value of the "model year" for sales purposes and a purchaser bought a new Packard by model year in order to "keep in style." Therefore, the Magnum Opus designations for the Packards assembled followed the dictates of fashion with "model year" designations. The Packards were displayed at the Magnum Opus clustered into five main periods (groups) surrounded by fourteen "theme" groups. To begin, Packard's automobile history through the years breaks into five distinct periods:
- Group 1 is entitled "Ask the Man Who Owns One" and goes back to the founding of Packard in 1899 when they began building one cylinder horseless carriages at the Packard Electric shops in Warren, Ohio. The Warren Era ended in 1903 when Packard production was moved to Detroit and they began building four cylinder cars offered through 1912.
- Group 2, under the banner "Elegance to Efficiency" moves through the teen years. During this period Packard made truly big, expensive cars made big, expensive cars (and trucks, over 10,000 for the US Army alone) and noble six cylinder behemoths universally known as the "Boss of the Road." The big Dominant Sixes grabbed the attention of the elite both at home and abroad. They were quickly followed by the fabulous Twin Sixes, establishing Packard firmly as the aristocrat of American car makers. That provocative era ended with the depression of the early twenties when Packard undertook a practical downsizing to the Model 116.
- With Group 3, Packard had built a name and a place in society termed "Distinction and Prestige." Beginning in 1923, Packard began to take full advantage of its name. Many builders of fine cars, some considerably more expensive than Packard and some, perhaps, better made, could not withstand the impact of the Packard Motor Car Company during the turbulent economic upheaval at the close of the twenties.
- As the title of Group 4 states: "Socially Americas First Motor Car", no greater proof is needed that by 1935, Packard was the only independent fine car manufacturer to survive the depression years.
- The post war era of Group 5 was entitled "America's New Choice in Fine Cars." Ironically, it was not to be. Packard was now the victim of the sales strategy it exacted upon others before the war. The post war Packards were fine, quality built automobiles, the very best some say, but Cadillac, with profoundly aggressive sales found itself more receptive to the buying public than did Packard.
Complementing the five aforementioned groups, fourteen "Theme" groups were assembled:
- A — 50's Showcars, Feature Cars, Experimentals & Caribbeans
- B — 1932 900 Light Eights
- C — 1932 – 1934 Dietrich Split Windshield Customs
- D — Open Front Town Cars & Cabriolets
- E — Individual Custom Bodied Packards
- F — Packard Darrins
- G — Classic Era Open Cars & Sedans
- H — 626 & 734 Speedsters
- J — 1934 LeBaron Sport Models
- K — Limos & Touring Sedans (including custom bodys)
- L — Professional Cars (Hearses, Ambulances & Flower Cars)
- M — Station Sedans (often called "Woodies")
- N — Packard Trucks
- P — 1921 Single Six 116
Miscellaneous — An added section for Miscellaneous photos around town.
The Displays
GROUP 1: 1899 – 1912
"Ask the Man Who Owns One"
Hosted by: John Grundy & James Brodes
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GROUP 2: 1912 – 1923
"Elegance to Efficiency"
Hosted by: Patrick Phinney & Don Weber
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GROUP 3: 1923 – 1934
"Distinction and Prestige"
Hosted by: James Pearsall & Edward Blend
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GROUP 4: 1935 – 1942
"Socially America's First Motor Car"
Hosted by: Don Sommer & Donald Peterson Weber
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Opus # | Year | Model | Body |
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4-14 | 1939 | Twelve 1707 | Conv Sedan |
GROUP 5: 1945 – 1958
"America's New Choice in Fine Cars"
Hosted by: Michael Barbush & Fred Mauck
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Opus # | Year | Model | Body |
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5-12 | 1951 | Patrician 2406 | Sedan |
5-18 | 1953 | Mayfair 2631 | Hardtop |
5-20 | 1954 | Clipper Del 5401 | Sedan |
5-21 | 1954 | Sportster 5401 | 2d |
THEME GROUP A
50's Showcars, Feature Cars, Experimentals & Caribbeans
Hosted by: Stuart Blond & Nick Kanter
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Opus # | Year | Model | Body |
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A-09 | 1954 | Mitchell Panther | Show Car #3 for 1954 |
A-10 | 1954 | Panther | Show Car #4 for 1954 |
A-15a | 1955 | Request | Show Car for 1955 |
THEME GROUP B
1932 900 Light Eights
Hosted by: Art Wennerberg
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THEME GROUP C
1932 - 1933 - 1934 Dietrich Specialty Windshield Customs
Hosted by: Emerson Duke & Jim Hollingsworth
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THEME GROUP D
Open Front Town Cars & Cabriolets
Hosted by: Bob Supina
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Opus # | Year | Model | Body |
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D-13a | 1937 | 1508 | LeBaron Town Car |
THEME GROUP E
Individual Custom Bodied Packards (by various coachbuilders)
Hosted by: Bill Weltyk & Jim Friedrich
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THEME GROUP F
Packard Darrins
Hosted by: Eugene Tareshawty & Charles Blackman
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Opus # | Year | Model | Body |
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F-02 | 1939 | Eight 1701 | Victoria |
F-08 | 1940 | Eight 1807 | Sport Sedan 4d Style A |
THEME GROUP G
Classic Era Open Cars & Convs Open Roadsters, Phaetons & Touring; Conv Coupes, Victorias & Sedans
Hosted by: Bill Weltyk & Jim Friedrich
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THEME GROUP H
626 & 734 Speedsters
Hosted by: Bruce Grinager & Guy Slaughter
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Opus # | Year | Model | Body |
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H-08 | 1930 | Speedster 734-452 | Roadster |
THEME GROUP J
1934 LeBaron Sports
Hosted by: Dr. Bob Alexander
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THEME GROUP K
Limos & Touring Sedans (long wheelbase)Including LeBaron & Derham Customs
Hosted by: Marshall Katz & Paul Terhorst
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Opus # | Year | Model | Body |
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K-17 | 1953 | Executive 2626 | Sedan |
THEME GROUP L
Professional Cars (Hearses, Ambulances, Flower cars)
Hosted by: Tom McPherson & Walter McCall
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Opus # | Year | Model | Body |
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L-07 | 1939 | 1701A | Service Car Body by Henney |
L-08 | 1940 | 1801A | Combination Body by Henney |
THEME GROUP M
Station Sedans (Packard Woodies)
Hosted by: Dr. Stephen Matlaga
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THEME GROUP N
Packard Trucks (1905-1923)
Hosted by: David Lockard
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Opus # | Year | Model | Body |
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N-06 | 1916 | E | Large Box |
THEME GROUP P
1921 Single Six 116
Hosted by: Benjamin A. P. Warthen
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MISCELLANEOUS
"Photos around town""
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Lapel Pins
Jewelry
Dealerships
Dealership Signs
Packard Motor Car Company had a variety of signs that dealership's used to present Packard Motor Car Company. Scans of these original Packard signs are shown on the page linked below.