Unfortunately, I didn't get all the photos of the Darrin that I wished I had, but it looks like you guys made up for it. JW, I was also admiring the engineering drawings...it was eye-opening to see those there. And to Owen's comment: seeing these beautiful Packards up close made a believer out of me that authenticity should be the goal of restoration. Thanks again to all those who put this event together; my wife and I had a great time.

Thanks for the corrections. I believe I remember your car...is this the one?
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I don't think that I met you, but you probably saw me walking around with my wife (who is 7 months pregnant) taking pictures. I was also the only shmuck wearing a t-shirt out there...I wasn't counting on the wind being that cold.

Nice car by the way.

This past weekend was the annual Texas Packard meet held at Salado, Texas. There were somewhere around 30 vehicles there for the public showing on Saturday. Being new to the whole Packard scene, this was actually my first time seeing a Packard in person. So needless to say, I was like a kid in a candy store and took almost 140 pictures. I thought you might like to see a few, so here are some of my favorites.

1954 Caribbean
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1942 military
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1953 Caribbean crest
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1954 Patrician
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1932 Light Eight Coupe Roadster
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1927 Eight Touring
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Goddess of Speed
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1927(?) Phaeton
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Detail of hubcap on Phaeton
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1940 Darrin mid-restoration
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1937 Super Eight Dietrich Convertible Limo
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1937(?) 120 (not sure)
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I'm not sure on a few of the years and models, so if I've got anything wrong, feel free to correct me. Overall it was a great opportunity for me to get my feet wet and experience first-hand what a Packard is. I have to say pictures don't really do a Packard justice; it's one thing to see one on a page, but to look at one with your own eyes...stunning.

I'm not quite a Packard owner yet. In fact, to tell you the truth, I haven't ever seen a Packard in person. However, I've been bitten by the bug and my wife and I can't wait until we're able to own one. In my opinion, they are the most stately and graceful cars ever made in America.

I'm in dental school so tuition takes priority at the moment. But even though I'm unable to have a Packard now, I'm learning all that I can through this website (and others) and published books (Packard: the Pride, Packard: A History of the Car and Company). Not owning a Packard, I may not have much to contribute to the site at the moment, but I hope to learn all I can from all you folks.

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Thanks for the warm welcome. Unfortunately, I'm in dental school at the moment and can't afford a Packard quite yet. My dream is to get one soon after I graduate. In the meantime, I'll be learning as much as I can. There's a lot of knowledge to be had on here.

Correction...I just found the info I was looking for and Owen was right. The boat is a Higgins class PT boat with 3 12-cylinder Packard engines. Here's the link with more pictures:http://www.nimitz-museum.org/virtualtours/ptboat/tourfiles/flash/index_fs.html

edit: Apparently the reason why this particular boat is one-of-a-kind is that it is the only known PT boat that survives today to have seen combat in WWII.

You might be right Owen. I'm going off of memory here. I do remember him saying the boat itself was the last of it's kind surviving, but I don't remember the name of the manufacturer. I also seem to remember something about this particular build of boat being rare in the first place? I'm not sure if that would make any difference. If I'm up around the museum again, I'll ask and see what info I can find out.

The National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX has a nice display of an original PT boat fitted with four Packard engines. I'm not sure what engine it is exactly, but I was able to snap a picture of one that they had removed. Someone on here may be able to tell which engine it actually is.

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The guy conducting the tour procured the boat from a fisherman in New York, who had acquired it from the Navy after WWII. They drove the boat all the way from NY to Texas, and I believe it had all four original engines during that journey.