Re: Unknown Packard Photo

Posted by packardsix1939 On 2022/4/26 13:20:54

It took quite a bit of research on my part to come up with what I believe is the correct answer. Many of the cars from the 1920's do look very similar to one another. I did see the similarity to the Packard radiator shape and knew that several makes tried to imitate it during this period. Buicks from 1924-1928 copied it so closely that Packard actually considered initiating a copyright infringement lawsuit against GM. The Willys-Knight radiator design from the 1920's through about 1930 also bore a strong resemblance to a contemporary Packard. In fact, when I saw the photo, I initially thought that it might be a Willys-Knight, but upon closer inspection, some of the design elements just did not match, particularly the hood louvers. The short-lived Dagmar car, produced in Hagerstown, Maryland from 1922-1927 had a very Packard-esque frontal appearance, but these cars were extremely high priced and featured rather radical styling for the time period. Looking at the size of the car in relation to Bob J's lovely great aunt seated on the running board, it is apparent that this is a smaller, low-priced vehicle, something similar to a Model T or a Chevrolet. This is something that a young man in the late 1920's could reasonably afford. I'm assuming that the car was fairly new when the photo was taken. The Star car was publicized as "Low-Cost Transportation" in ads of the period and would have perfectly suited a young man about to get married. Unfortunately for Great Uncle Frank, the Star car soon acquired a rather dubious reputation for quality, which was undoubtedly a factor in the brand's ultimate demise.

Hope you enjoy these photos of Packard imitators from the 1920's. I admit to having a great affinity for obscure orphan brands. Always exciting to see a nearly 100-year-old vehicle that almost nobody knows anything about. I'm so tired of going to car shows and seeing rows of Mustangs, Camaros and Chevelles. How boring!

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  1928WillysKnight.jpg (50.67 KB)


  1922-Dagmar-Sport-Sedan.jpg (24.55 KB)


  1927BuickMasterCoupe.jpg (84.14 KB)