Re: 1951 200 Business Coupe

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2012/5/26 15:23:55

Yes, the 51 business coupe is uncommon, and it was a one-year only offering, discontinued after 1951. It was the bottom-of-the-line, least expensive and most spartan Packard available so not exactly the vehicle to attract the clientele that Packard wanted. Probably most sales went to slightly upscale traveling salesmen who wanted something with a bit more comfort and performance than a Plymouth. As such, it was pretty much of a basic vehicle and standard transmission was standard equipment (Ultramatic was only standard in the "400" or Patrician), though OD was an extra cost. As the folks who bought them were looking for very inexpensive transportation, I wouldn't be surprised that manual shift was more popular than Ultramatic.

A couple of years ago there was a very nice article published in The Packard Club's The Packard Cormorant on one of these, some very good photos of the interior, etc. Perhaps you'd like to get a back issue.