Re: 1941 limo

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2008/1/3 10:03:55

The embossed number 589277 which you refer to was variously called the BDN (body dash number) or thief-proof number by Packard. It was a simple sequential numbering scheme beginning in or before the Sixth series, and continuing thru the end in 1956. About 1950 the numbers reached 999999 and then the first numeral was replaced with an "A" until A99999, then a "B", and so on. The last Packards were prefixed by a "D". The lowest thief-proof number I have noted for 1941 is 552,XXX, and the previous highest was 583,XXX so yours is now the highest # known to me for 1941. Some 1940 models do not have a BDN, the exact explanation is unknown by is perhaps related to the moving of body dies from East Grand to Briggs when Packard contracted out the body stamping. Any records Packard might have had correlating BDNs with chassis/body styles has not survived or yet been found, so generally the numbers are not useful in detecting body swaps, upgrades, bogus cars, etc.