Re: Thief-Proof Numbers (body serial numbers)

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2021/4/29 17:13:17

Look again more closely at the theft-proof number, the first character is a "D", not an "O". By 1955 the dies were really begining to wear, the stamped letters are much less crisp and defined than even 1954.

Theft-proof #s beginjing with a zero would be 1929. 999,9XX was reached at the end of the 23rd series and prefix "A" began with the 24th series. Then in turn, prefix "B", "C", and lastly "D". For reasons we don't know there were a couple of very early 1955 cars with no theft-proof numbers, and at least one that reused a prior number from the late 1930s. Perhaps these anomolies were the result of the internal chaos resulting from Packard having to reaasume on short notice their own body production - at least that's my own speculation.