Re: Is My 1956 4-Dr Deluxe a "Packard" or "Clipper"

Posted by BH On 2007/4/2 18:51:45

Greg -

Lincoln, though built by Ford Motor Company, would be titled as a "Lincoln" make. A "make" doesn't necessarily correspond to company or division names.

The problem with the Clipper is that it started out in 1941 as a model of Packard, but the Clipper vehicles became the foundation for postwar Packard vehicles. The Clipper model name was dropped for 1948, but reinstated as model name in 1953, as the company was working to make the Junior Clipper line more distinctive from the Senior Packard line, erasing a mistake made many years earlier.

The ultimate goal was to establish Clipper as its own make, and, as Eric points out, that was finally realized in 1956. As noted in the Model Info pages in this site, no Packard script plate graced the exterior of the 56th Series Clipper cars, intitially, but it was later returned to production (on the corner of the trunk lid), with a retrofit offered to owners of those early production units.

I have a seen a 1955 letter sent by the Packard Division of Studebaker-Packard Corp., to all states (and copied to insurance companies and S-P dealers), covering basic registration information. It referred to the "Packard" line and the "Packard Clipper" line, separately, but I think all 1955 Clippers were still titled as Packards. Unfortunately, I have not seen a similar letter for 1956 that could be presented as prima facie evidence to make your case to your titling agency.

So, unless your state is amicable to registering the make as Clipper, you'll probably have to title it as a Packard.

If I find a 1956 edition of that letter, I will donate a copy to the site. Perhaps, then, you will be able to apply for a correction of title.