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I was doing some research work regarding the Packard Proving Grounds (PPG) and I ran across a website that contained historical aerial survey photos done for the Detroit Edison Co. These survey photos were done about every 5 years and are now on file.

Anyway, when I was looking at the 1949 survey photos I noticed some odd lines on the infield of the 2.5 mile, high-speed track and wondered what it could be. So I zoomed in and saw it was rows of 1949 Golden Anniversary Packards being staged for the big Drive-Away. VERY coincidentally the aerial survey was taken during the staging of the Drive-Away.

I have attached the aerial photos for your review.

BTW, in Guscha's post #8 the last news clipping from The Free Lance - Star of Fredericksburg, VA has a couple of typo's. It says, "The proving grounds, where a speed record of 145 mph was set in 1948...." is incorrect. On June 14, 1928 (not 1948) Leon Duray set a record of 148 mph (not 145).

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Roger, you should consider a job in the aerial photographic reconnaissance.

Apart from the mass driveaways the individual factory delivery was an option, perhaps to combine business with pleasure, in other words, to use the spared transfer costs for a facility visit.



[source: The Pittsburgh Press; August 4, 1935] Click to enlarge!

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Sadly we can no longer take delivery of a Packard.
The same goes for the Pittsburgh Press!

I wonder where the "factory deliveries" for the 55-56 Packards were held? Somewhere on Conner or perhaps one of the more traditional spaces back at EGB?

These days, you can still pick up a Corvette "almost" at the factory, through the National Corvette Museum, across the road. Back in the St. Louis days, you had to take delivery at the Chevy dealership across the street, but they did allow customers who wanted a picture of the event to drive back to the factory gate for that picture of handing over the keys. My uncle did that for his 56 and invited me for that memorable event. I think it was the dealer salesman who took the picture.

Today, BMW Welt hosts as many as a hundred "factory" deliveries daily in Munich, no matter where the car was actually built. This is a big deal with families gathered and the promise of a museum tour and meal in their Welt restaurant. I find it funny that a German family who's bought a new X car built in South Carolina travels to Munich but lots of them do.

Next year, Porsche (and possibly Audi) will offer similar deliveries at the new Porsche Center next to the Atlanta airport. It's almost at the middle junction of three Interstate highways, so the drive home is made a bit simpler. I don't even want to imagine the optional cost that Porsche plans to levy but it will probably be higher than the current $900 that a new C7 Corvette will set you back.

I'd also be fairly sure that the nice people at Packard might have charged absolutely nothing for a factory delivery. The frugal Caribbean customer might have even saved money in the process.

I'd also be fairly sure that the nice people at Packard might have charged absolutely nothing for a factory delivery.

Cars as they arrived at the dealerships required some preparation, front license plate bracket attached where required, wheel hub shells attached, and the usual dealer preparation (see attached document) Factory delivery would have incurred the same work.

Factory delivery was $55 for a senior and $45 for a Clipper in 1954. For the 22nd series it was $20 for an Eight, $30 for a Super Eight, and $40 for a Custom 8. The years in between were probably proportional. This data for order option code "FD" and from the Robert Neal books. Somewhere I have an invoice for a 34 Twelve with factory delivery and there was also a charge so I'd assume charges for factory delivery were pretty standard thru those years and thru the industry. Of course you saved the transportation costs to the dealer.

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Copy of customer pickup

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The invoice is fascinating for what it says. It appears (if my eyesight and figures are clear) that this is for a 1956 Four Hundred with the usual equipment, plus two door mirrors to be delivered (from the Customer Delivery area of Building 27 at Conner?). But was antifreeze an option, for Detroit in March? What was the alternative, plain water?

My own 56 hardtop is less than 350 numbers higher/later by the vehicle number and I figure it was a very late May or early June when it was made. So these things were not just flying off the line at that rate, later in the abbreviated year. The notation of Gold on the grille on the invoice is also of interest; I thought that almost all but the very earliest 1956 cars had the gold mesh.

Thanks for sharing this very interesting piece of history.

Quote:
Randy, don't be disheartened! Irwin is on my paper route today. Coming!

For factory deliveries had been advertised remarkable cost savings of 10% and more in 1948.


[source: Ellensburg Daily Record; November 18, 1948] Click to enlarge!

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To illustrate the Golden Anniversary driveaway 1949.






[source: LIFE]

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