This is special issue of Automotive News commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Packard Motor Car Company in 1940. Packard provided hardbound personalized copies, with the dealer or distributor’s name imprinted on the cover of this special issue, for use of their sales and service staff, and for display in their show rooms and customer waiting areas. It is interesting in that there is a good history of the Packard Motor Car Company to that time. Also interesting are the advertisements from vendors to Packard and other businesses in the automobile industry congratulating the company on its accomplishments.

John Lawrence donated this copy, and it originally belonged to his father who owned a Packard dealership. Here is the story of how John came into possession of this book.

“The original publication just recently came to me from Stan Franowsky of Tijeras, NM. Here is a little background on how this publication came into my possession.

I first became acquainted with Stan in 2006 when I was first trying to buy a 1947 Custom Super Clipper Touring Sedan from Mike Lucero in Santa Fe. Stan had brought the car to New Mexico from Nebraska in the mid-1980s for his future father-in-law, Al Dumrose. Al was a long-time customer of my father. Stan did a mechanical restoration of the car from the clutch forward at that time. He briefly came into possession of the car, then sold it to Mike in 1985. Mike kept the car, using it infrequently for the next 25-odd years.

I visited with Stan at his former business, The Old Car Garage, in Albuquerque to ask him about the car. After some conversation we realized that his father-in-law and my father developed more than a business relationship over the decade in which they were associated. When dad was quitting the auto repair business in the mid ‘60s, he asked if any of us were interested in his stash of Packard parts, tools, and manuals. None of us at that time had any interest in this stuff. He said, given this non-interest by us, he would give it all to Al because of Al’s interest in Packards. Some of the parts that went to Al were installed in the Clipper when Stan was working on it, in addition to some technical advice dad provided. I was not able to buy the car at this time as Mike withdrew from the deal at the last minute.”

Earlier this year I wanted another Packard to supplement the 1937 Packard Six Convertible Coupe, and was interested in one of the later 1955-56 V-8 models. I gave up on this effort after a brief search that included driving one of these cars while on vacation in California. I realized that the V-8 cars, with their self-leveling torsion bar suspension, were too complicated for me to deal with on a regular basis. On the return trip to Austin through Santa Fe I got to thinking about Mike’s Clipper. I contacted him about the car after arriving in Santa Fe. Mike said that he was willing to part with the car at this time. Mike and I made a deal on the car after I returned to Austin, and I had it transported here in a covered trailer.

I contacted Stan and told him about the purchase of the Clipper. In the conversation he congratulated me on getting the car, as it would now be in the hands of someone who would fully appreciate it. He also said that he had wanted to get in contact with me as he had something on his desk he wanted me to have. It was the Automotive News publication. Stan, true to his word, promptly got it in the mail, and it arrived a few days later. I have no memory of seeing this publication when it would have been in dad’s possession. I guess it got put away and forgotten until he was gathering up his Packard stuff to give to Al.

I am most grateful to Stan for returning this publication to the family. I have also provided him with a copy.”

Thanks to John Lawrence for the donation of this content and for sharing the story with us!

Special 40th anniversary of the Packard, Automotive News Annual

(PDF 82 pages, 54.5 mb)

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