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Dave,

Another eBay one, this time a '35, but no Thief Proof.

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Thanks. EBay has been a relatively good source of data for me. I'll be getting some sets of data from the Nordic Packard Club (Scandanavia) via a local member here in New Jersey, and also hope to get quite a few at Warren. Getting to 1000 data sets would sure be nice, but I believe I already have marginally enough to construct a useful study.

Another one from ebay with good photos.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Packard-1401-Packard-1936-Packard-1401-Standard-8-Coupe-Roadster_W0QQitemZ110397228096QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item19b4300440&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65%3A12|39%3A1|72%3A1205|240%3A1318

Tom, thanks for keeping my search in mind. Yes, I did see that one and it's an interesting one. It's the second or third 1936 senior I've seen with a 1935-vintage thief-proof number. One of the others (a Dietrich victoria) actually had 1935 body tags under the carpet showing that it had been built or partially built as 1935 model, probably unsold at year end, and upgraded (primarily a new nose clip and patent plate) to a 1936 car. Finding things like that is one of the joys that interrupts the otherwise mundane task of collecting numbers.

Another curiosity about the 1936 seniors, they seem to be the only year where the vehicle number on the patent plate was routinely preceded with "14th" indicating the series. This is of course redundant as the next number, the body style, a 9XX series #, would tell you it's the 14th series.

Curiousities abound!

Owen,
My 1940 110 Conv Coupe

Data Plate: 1389-3452

Thanks,
Steve P

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Dave,

Glad you saw the car. It is a very nice looking car. Wish I had the room and money!

The firewalls with only the end triangles got me wondering: is there any chance those are factory replacement firewalls?

Tom

I doubt it, and I find it interesting that it's only 1940 models that seem to be reported to not have numbers, but have the triangles. What happened in 1940? Other than the obvious answer of the European theatre war going on, of course.

What happened in 1940?

What happened is that Packard was transferring all their body-making equipment, dies, presses, etc. to Briggs. It's been my assumption that that is the reason why most (not all) 1940 cars don't have the number.

The fact that the end brackets are there is indicative of the possibility that cowl panels were formed in multiple stamping operations with the number added in a later stage. Just an assumption.

And a very logical assumption at that. It makes perfect sense, actually.

I still think that the triangles were an alignment mark for the number stamping. Whether that happened pre or post cowl formation is the question.