Re: Thief-proof (body dash) numbers
Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2013/2/1 13:02:10
West Peterson said: Within the past week, I have come upon two 1940 Packards without the thief-proof numbers. In between the < > is just blank. Is this common???
West, yes, it's common but only for 1940 and as a generalization only for the early part of the year. Lots of folks have pondered it, no one really has a substantiated reason why. It's been suggested that it may be related to a possible transfer of some body stamping equipment and dies to Briggs in preparation for 1941 but that's just speculation. The only other cars I know of that have no number (they started in 1929) are the Panther Daytonas and a single 1955 car, a Clipper with an extremely low vehicle number and in this case the explanation may lie with Packard reassuming body production from Briggs with lots of resultant chaos.
There are a couple of thing rather curious about the patent plate in post #14 above, with vehicle #474-179. The plate itself doesn't appear to be anything but original, especially the style of the dealer identifying stamp and date. But the fasteners (it should be slotted sheet metal screws) have obviously been altered and the vehicle number is most curious on two accounts. First is the font, the vehicle number should be in a font similar to the date stamp and the font shown in the 474 179 was never used by Packard to my knowledge. And second is the number itself. Though 474 is in fact a 1931 body type identification, that style of vehicle number, body type + sequential production number, didn't begin until 1932. Never seen a 1931 patent plate that didn't give a vehicle number that wasn't either the motor number or a very closely related number. If there is any more history to this car and the plate, I'm all ears.
UPDATE: Well, after looking at some other patent plates, I'm even more curious and take back the comment that the 474-179 font wasn't used by Packard. Keep in mind that the date of delivery and dealer name were done locally so they could be any style, but look at the vehicle numbers on these two plates - one appears to have the same font as the plate in question above, and the other has what's typically seen. One possible conclusion is that Packard didn't adopt the body type + sequential production number style of vehicle number beginning in 1932 but actually started during the 1931 production, and with a unique font not again used. Interesting (to those of us intersted in such minutae) to say the least.
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West, yes, it's common but only for 1940 and as a generalization only for the early part of the year. Lots of folks have pondered it, no one really has a substantiated reason why. It's been suggested that it may be related to a possible transfer of some body stamping equipment and dies to Briggs in preparation for 1941 but that's just speculation. The only other cars I know of that have no number (they started in 1929) are the Panther Daytonas and a single 1955 car, a Clipper with an extremely low vehicle number and in this case the explanation may lie with Packard reassuming body production from Briggs with lots of resultant chaos.
There are a couple of thing rather curious about the patent plate in post #14 above, with vehicle #474-179. The plate itself doesn't appear to be anything but original, especially the style of the dealer identifying stamp and date. But the fasteners (it should be slotted sheet metal screws) have obviously been altered and the vehicle number is most curious on two accounts. First is the font, the vehicle number should be in a font similar to the date stamp and the font shown in the 474 179 was never used by Packard to my knowledge. And second is the number itself. Though 474 is in fact a 1931 body type identification, that style of vehicle number, body type + sequential production number, didn't begin until 1932. Never seen a 1931 patent plate that didn't give a vehicle number that wasn't either the motor number or a very closely related number. If there is any more history to this car and the plate, I'm all ears.
UPDATE: Well, after looking at some other patent plates, I'm even more curious and take back the comment that the 474-179 font wasn't used by Packard. Keep in mind that the date of delivery and dealer name were done locally so they could be any style, but look at the vehicle numbers on these two plates - one appears to have the same font as the plate in question above, and the other has what's typically seen. One possible conclusion is that Packard didn't adopt the body type + sequential production number style of vehicle number beginning in 1932 but actually started during the 1931 production, and with a unique font not again used. Interesting (to those of us intersted in such minutae) to say the least.
Attach file:
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