Any History on the Last '54s?

Posted by 55PackardGuy On 2013/1/4 21:32:32

Looking at the fit and finish on my '54 Clipper Deluxe reminded me that this car was actually built at the East Grand Boulevard plant, which may have something to do with all 4 doors fitting so nicely! Then I recalled that a Clipper was the last car going down the line in '54, based on a photograph of the back of one as the line was being (tragically) torn up behind it.

There is also a picture of the last Packard (not a Clipper) going through the body drop on the line. Evidently, the Clipper was the actual last car.

There were dignitaries standing around during both the "photo ops", including Neil Brown with the Packard and Clare Briggs with the Clipper, so apparently a big deal was made out of this (what I would again call "tragedy") of closing down the assembly operations at E. Grand in favor of the Conner plant.

Apparently, the Clipper was white or very light colored. The color of the Packard can't be determined in the B&W photo, but it had AC. (Both cars have the trunks open, apparently standard procedure at the body drop station.)

I wonder if anything was preserved of the history of these cars, like I believe it was of the famous last '56, which was a Caribbean Patrician.

The last cars to come out of the E. Grand Boulevard plant would be tremendous milestones, considering how many cars had gone before them. Wonder what total production was out of the old plant?

The pictures are on page 574 and 575 of the Kimes book, if anyone who has the book is interested in taking a look.