PPG: New Addition to the Collection
Posted by RogerDetroit On 2014/11/22 16:37:08
I am pleased to announce that the Packard Motor Car Foundation, owners of the Packard Proving Grounds, recently received a donation of a 1954 Packard Pacific hardtop (5477) in Carnation over Amethyst. This is a very generous gift by Jack & Merna Holmes of San Leando, CA and arranged by PMCF Trustee Bud Juneau.
This is a very rare car. It is only 1 of 5 produced and only 1 of 3 that are known to exist. One is owned by Gene Stout of Seattle, WA and another is owned by Keith Vail in Baltimore, MD. The amethyst paint scheme and trim pieces were the idea of (the late) Ed Cunningham, a 24 year old designer at Packard. Before his passing in 2012 Ed was known as a fountain of Packard wisdom and humor which he shared liberally.
I spoke with Gene Stout yesterday and he provided me with a wealth of information regarding these special order cars. In fact, Gene wrote an article in 2004 for the PI magazine when his car was featured as a salon car. "Packard was still a very conservative company when Ed Cunningham, the young manager of the Trim and Color Styling Studio, introduced the eye-popping Carnation & Amethyst color scheme for a limited number of Pacific hardtops."
In later years Ed recalled that five cars were painted in the special color scheme for management revue, each with the "R" paint scheme code and "324" trim code inside the sliding glove box. "I'm sure most, if not all of the cars, went to Earle C. Anthony," Cunningham wrote in a letter to Gene in 1998.
Besides the distinctive color scheme all of the trim pieces on the car are in amethyst instead of traditional Packard red.
We are grateful for the donation by Jack and Merna and hope you will visit the Packard Proving Grounds to see this wonderful car for yourself when we reopen next spring.
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This is a very rare car. It is only 1 of 5 produced and only 1 of 3 that are known to exist. One is owned by Gene Stout of Seattle, WA and another is owned by Keith Vail in Baltimore, MD. The amethyst paint scheme and trim pieces were the idea of (the late) Ed Cunningham, a 24 year old designer at Packard. Before his passing in 2012 Ed was known as a fountain of Packard wisdom and humor which he shared liberally.
I spoke with Gene Stout yesterday and he provided me with a wealth of information regarding these special order cars. In fact, Gene wrote an article in 2004 for the PI magazine when his car was featured as a salon car. "Packard was still a very conservative company when Ed Cunningham, the young manager of the Trim and Color Styling Studio, introduced the eye-popping Carnation & Amethyst color scheme for a limited number of Pacific hardtops."
In later years Ed recalled that five cars were painted in the special color scheme for management revue, each with the "R" paint scheme code and "324" trim code inside the sliding glove box. "I'm sure most, if not all of the cars, went to Earle C. Anthony," Cunningham wrote in a letter to Gene in 1998.
Besides the distinctive color scheme all of the trim pieces on the car are in amethyst instead of traditional Packard red.
We are grateful for the donation by Jack and Merna and hope you will visit the Packard Proving Grounds to see this wonderful car for yourself when we reopen next spring.
Attach file:
(49.80 KB)
(72.25 KB)
(93.38 KB)
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