Re: '49-'50 Eight - Kodachrome period photo

Posted by 58L8134 On 2016/4/3 13:10:51

Hi Dave

Well, not around Packards as long as you have but lurking around Hershey and various club events for forty plus years. How I met Paul and Ellen was at Road Race Lincoln Registry and Lincoln and Continental Owners Club meets when they had their nice blue '57 Continental Mark II. He was restoring a '56 Lincoln Premiere convertible at the time. We both liked to drink a beer and talk cars, it didn't take long to discover we both loved pre-war Classics particularly coachbuilt cars.

At Hershey in the '90's, once the show had assembled and the crowds were too dense to photograph, I'd go roost at their flea market site to compare notes on what fascinated, have a beer(s) and a laugh, wait until the crowds thinned. Paul really knew his Classic and could match wits with me any day. Those were wonderful days and fond memories now.

I only ever heard about his blue-gray '34 Twelve stationary coupe, never saw it, but distinctly recall he said it was the only one known with artillery wheels. The best story he told about it was the time he and Ellen were driving up I-95 for a club tour date. The Twelve was keeping up modern traffic with aplomb when he noted a group of Porsche drivers coming up in the fast lane. He decided to have a little fun, pulled into lane with them, they played leap frog for twenty miles. Their looks of incredulity as he sailed by in that majestic Twelve were priceless. When he signaled he was exiting for fuel, the whole group followed him into the gas station. They had to see what pre-war car could give them a run for their money. They were awestruck with the Packard Twelve. Paul glowed when he told that story.

The first pre-war Packard I rode in was Paul's '36 Eight slant-back sedan at Strasburg, PA. They'd hit the RRLR meet on the way to the PAC National at Baltimore in '95. He also generously allowed me to drive his Mark II for a short distance at one RRLR meet.

I spent some time with the Kelleys at the Centennial in '99 and when our region hosted the National Meet at Canandaigua in '01. The evening of the banquet was the last time I had a beer and a chat with them, said our so longs, see you at Hershey, but knew I never would. More than once, over the years, he'd cursed the smokes he couldn't give up.

As you can tell, I'm glad to have known them. They were great company, knew and appreciated fine iron and were just a couple of good eggs.

Steve