"the MADD sticker is cracking me up!"

hee hee ... I know a guy who claimed to be a member of "DAMM," Drunks Against Mad Mothers.

That white leather was probably the "Phartedon White" (say it aloud) described by Ed Cunningham.

https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=9210&forum=4

Mac OSX El Capitan - I got the home page OK, but when I tried to open the "4 Speed Manual" link, <http://1956packardpanther.com/Panther/4speedManual.html>, I got
I got a "404 File Not Found" message.

"I think "Junior" and "Senior" may be the wrong split point. The 120 had to succeed for Packard to survive. So it was a Packard in name and looks. I think the 110 should have had a different name, and would have still been a competitive offering. Since new tooling was required for the shorter hood and fenders anyway, it would only be necessary to not share a grill with the 120 to have a different face. The Zephyr was already out, I could see something more modern and horizontal."

Agreed. Packard failed to master what Mercedes-Benz has done so successfully: market less expensive cars without diluting the image of their premium cars. In the U.S., the least expensive M-B is the "C-class," but in most of the world, M-B offers the decidedly "junior" (to borrow the Packard term) "A" and "B" class cars. But they maintain their luxury image.

As an aside, the Smart is a M-B product. Originally it was to be the Swatch in partnership with the watch maker. At the last minute, Swatch pulled out and M-B went ahead with the project as the Smart.

Day-um, Troy! That thumb hurts all the way to the Left Coast!
I hope it heals quickly!

Picking up on Mahoning63's thought about continuing engine production at Utica:

I have long puzzled why this seems not to have been considered as the house was collapsing in 1956. The Packard V8 was designed for expansion - the unbuilt '57s would have displaced 440 cu in. The Packard engine would have been competitive for many years. On the other hand, everyone knew that Studebaker's otherwise excellent V8 was at the end of its development cycle size-wise at 289 cu in. (The handful of Avanti R3 engines that displaced 304.5 cu in were bored out, not re-cored - and the cylinder walls were paper thin.)

So here's another scenario - management figures out that South Bend in unsustainable and that the possible volume out of Conner is more realistically profitable. So South Bend is shuttered and the Clipper becomes the Studebaker. There's one more re-style in the Reinhardt-Teague Senior body such as this envisioned by "Andy-HarborIndiana":

Attach file:

---

  (35.23 KB)


  (49.31 KB)


  (71.84 KB)

This Mercedes prototype is Packard's Request fulfilled.
Here's the story:
https://56packardman.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/gear-head-tuesday-packards-request-almost-fulfilled-by-mercedes-benz/

Note the unusual 3 piece windshield - which was repeated at the rear window - perhaps the windshield/rear window were intended to be interchangeable.

The above linked article then led to the Facel - Packard discussion:

https://56packardman.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/gear-head-tuesday-coulda-shoulda-woulda-the-facel-packard/

Troy, I like your approach to rebuilding the engine.

I'm watching this with GREAT interest!

Nice work, Troy!
That's a fabulous looking '56J!

Heads up, everyone: a local collector who has three Packards* is looking for an Ultramafic for his '53 Clipper. PM me if you know where he might find one.

* '53 Clipper, solid, rust-free car in need of restoration - a labor of love as no restored '50s Clipper would return the investment.
'53 Caribbean in almost perfect condition
'55 Caribbean in excellent condition

See my blog post about these Packards here:
https://56packardman.wordpress.com/2015/06/29/gear-head-tuesday-what-is-in-mikes-garage/