Re: Vintage Packards on the Street Thread...
Posted by 58L8134 On 2019/12/7 16:07:26
Hi Garrett
I've wondered if those Light Eights didn't have good performance, the power-to-weight ratio is high for the era. The coupe sedan has wonderful proportions, shame its so rare. They should have added one more body style based on it: a convertible victoria. In all the years of Packard events, I've only encountered one each of the '32 900 and '33 1001 coupe sedans.
Wonder if anyone at EGP in 1932 spirited a Light Eight 900 frame off to the experimental shop to fit it with a Twin Six engine and chassis components? Then the in-house body department stirring up a slick speedster, take it to the proving grounds track to see what it would do. Fun to think about...
Steve
Added 12-8-2019
On another topic:
The following was related on the AACA Forum by Ben P. about his grandfather Ed Benson's experiences in the taxi business in Midland, Michigan. Its edited and presented here with his permission.
"From about 1930 to 1947 my grandfather owned a taxicab company in Midland Michigan. He started out with Plymouths, but mostly ran Hudson Terraplanes once those came out. He also rented out boat motors and vans.
At some point in the late 30's the local funeral home convinced him to buy a DeSoto 'limousine' on the promise that they would hire his services and take up its predominant use (they could not afford their own).
I note this because that car was a 7 passenger car with jump seats and no divider window -- perhaps that's not what we call it today or the factory called it then, but I can assure you that people on the street then DID call it a limousine."...
..."After the war he got a fleet of 1946 Packard Clippers -- because that's all he could get his hands on. He HATED those Packards. They were terrible. Here he had survived the worst of the depression, literally living in the taxi-service garage just barely eking it out. Survived the war (in which he enlisted - trusting the business to family) -- then come those ___damned Packards. Constant repairs, drove him broke, finally gave up on the business. He hated the Packard name like poison.
Further:
"At any rate, they were truly terrible cars. My grandmother STILL talks about them and gets angry. They were trying to build a house and those Packards were taking every cent just to keep them running. He had bought 6-9 of them (no one remembers precisely), I believe both 6's and 8's. I'm pretty sure the one in the picture is a 6 -- though I'm not a Packard expert.
I owned a post-war Studebaker which he helped me on quite a bit. He called it a 'pretty good car'. He told me that as Packard was failing in the 1950's (and eventually merged with Studebaker) there was nobody mourning the Packard name -- their reputation had become that bad. His name was Ed Benson."
As related by his grandson, Ben P.
Its good to have this recollection out these many decades later least we wear our rose-colored glasses too much viewing our favorite cars now. If these were standard Clippers intended for private use and not the rigors of taxi service, the dealer lost a potential loyal customer. Mr. Benson may well have bought early production cars too, which given the rush to get new cars out saw poor assembly quality for all makes across the board. After three-years-plus of no new cars except those procured through allocation, the general fleet was badly worn out and need of replacement, especially taxis.
Thanks to Ben P. for permission to relate these experiences.
Steve
Attach file:
(92.02 KB)
I've wondered if those Light Eights didn't have good performance, the power-to-weight ratio is high for the era. The coupe sedan has wonderful proportions, shame its so rare. They should have added one more body style based on it: a convertible victoria. In all the years of Packard events, I've only encountered one each of the '32 900 and '33 1001 coupe sedans.
Wonder if anyone at EGP in 1932 spirited a Light Eight 900 frame off to the experimental shop to fit it with a Twin Six engine and chassis components? Then the in-house body department stirring up a slick speedster, take it to the proving grounds track to see what it would do. Fun to think about...
Steve
Added 12-8-2019
On another topic:
The following was related on the AACA Forum by Ben P. about his grandfather Ed Benson's experiences in the taxi business in Midland, Michigan. Its edited and presented here with his permission.
"From about 1930 to 1947 my grandfather owned a taxicab company in Midland Michigan. He started out with Plymouths, but mostly ran Hudson Terraplanes once those came out. He also rented out boat motors and vans.
At some point in the late 30's the local funeral home convinced him to buy a DeSoto 'limousine' on the promise that they would hire his services and take up its predominant use (they could not afford their own).
I note this because that car was a 7 passenger car with jump seats and no divider window -- perhaps that's not what we call it today or the factory called it then, but I can assure you that people on the street then DID call it a limousine."...
..."After the war he got a fleet of 1946 Packard Clippers -- because that's all he could get his hands on. He HATED those Packards. They were terrible. Here he had survived the worst of the depression, literally living in the taxi-service garage just barely eking it out. Survived the war (in which he enlisted - trusting the business to family) -- then come those ___damned Packards. Constant repairs, drove him broke, finally gave up on the business. He hated the Packard name like poison.
Further:
"At any rate, they were truly terrible cars. My grandmother STILL talks about them and gets angry. They were trying to build a house and those Packards were taking every cent just to keep them running. He had bought 6-9 of them (no one remembers precisely), I believe both 6's and 8's. I'm pretty sure the one in the picture is a 6 -- though I'm not a Packard expert.
I owned a post-war Studebaker which he helped me on quite a bit. He called it a 'pretty good car'. He told me that as Packard was failing in the 1950's (and eventually merged with Studebaker) there was nobody mourning the Packard name -- their reputation had become that bad. His name was Ed Benson."
As related by his grandson, Ben P.
Its good to have this recollection out these many decades later least we wear our rose-colored glasses too much viewing our favorite cars now. If these were standard Clippers intended for private use and not the rigors of taxi service, the dealer lost a potential loyal customer. Mr. Benson may well have bought early production cars too, which given the rush to get new cars out saw poor assembly quality for all makes across the board. After three-years-plus of no new cars except those procured through allocation, the general fleet was badly worn out and need of replacement, especially taxis.
Thanks to Ben P. for permission to relate these experiences.
Steve
Attach file:
(92.02 KB)
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