HH56 wrote:
Don may be able to give more specific details but I think you will be out of luck getting anything from the state which would be about the only way to track ownership. Without state records, the only way to trace previous owners will be if you have word of mouth or some kind of unofficial paper trail from somewhere else. Unknown if anyone has any of the dealership records from that specific dealer but I expect those would only provide the first owner.

As to the state, California drops vehicles out of the system if they have not been continually registered for, I think, 5 years. If it has been longer than that since being registered in Calif there will be no records. Even if the car is still in the system, due to an actress being stalked and murdered a few years ago by someone who found her address thru DMV, after that happened there was a state law enacted that prohibits DMV from sharing any info with someone other than need to know law enforcement thru a special computer hookup or a warrant.

MrPushbutton wrote:
I'm surprised that they are having a hard time accepting the fact that the ID tag is fastened to the car with screws. Chrysler products have done this for decades, including the muscle car era, when things get very expensive and there is desire to make counterfeit "muscle cars" from more pedestrian offerings.

Packard newbie wrote:
Hi Leeedy,

Thanks for the reply and if 'going back there' causes you angst, then by all means, do not. I just wanted to understand the crux of the story and couldn't with what was available to me on the site here. No worries. I am a relative newcomer to the antique/collector car world and am fully cognizant that there would be lots of 'back-history' and yes, some infighting too, which seems to go with the territory when any of these clubs or groups exist for any amount of time. It's too bad it has to be that way, but I suppose it is in large part, human nature, and I have not been part of any group that doesn't have it's share.
I must say though, that Packard Info seems to have a reasonably tolerant and even-keeled tenor to it and even when tempers flare and words are exchanged, things seem to smooth over and we carry on. Good for us, right??
At the end of the day, the core purpose of what we do and what we're here for, is the restoration, preservation and promotion of the Packard automobile, which, in my opinion, is a worthy and even noble cause. The pedigree and proud heritage of Packard SHOULD live on and be supported and preserved by groups like ours and I'm not sure we all don't sometimes forget how important our part in that endeavor truly is. Again, thanks for taking the time, while on the road, to respond. Best regards, Chris.