Re: Packard Bikes

Posted by Brian Wilson On 2020/9/5 0:02:22

Thanks for your reply, Leeedy

Yes, it's a sorry tale and I can feel your frustration. Some of this happened with the "old car" movement but maybe not to the same degree. Being an old racer at heart, I keep running into people with amazing experiences or stories to tell and say "you should write a book". Some of them have, but many left it too late. Most who did write something ended up publishing it themselves, especially if their special expertise was in something a bit off centre (like air-cooled race cars). Despite what publishers seem to think, there is a market for well-presented books on almost any subject written by somebody who really knows what they are talking about.

You still have an amazing collection of classic bicycles and deep knowledge of the subject. Something a publisher is typically incapable of recognising or understanding. So they will likely continue to reject your approaches or offers. At least two of my older friends have resorted to self publishing and came out of it reasonably well financially. More importantly, their knowledge was captured for posterity. You have a ready made repository of classic bicycles and material, and could assemble a "bible" on the subject. Potentially a very time consuming exercise, but the result is that your collection serves a purpose and your knowledge is captured. I'm just thinking aloud, but my great fear is that what you have will go with you when you depart. That's a tragedy.

Even having a searchable repository online of correct examples of classic bicycles and pics thereof would be enormously valuable, but only scratches the surface.

One of the side benefits of such an effort is that the instant experts et al are easily proved wrong when they start talking nonsense.

As a complete aside, when did your 1956 Packard 400 (hardtop) disappear? I am idly looking at one for sale here with a rather hazy past but last sold through a dealer in Chicago called Chicago Car Exchange, Inc. It's Scottish Heather/White paint (code MK) and trim code 86, car number 5687 1773. Which means it was built in late 1955 but a 1956 model. I hope you don't recognise any of that!

This 400 has been sitting in a shed here for more than a few years, so would no doubt require a mechanical birthday. I'm pretty happy with my current RHD 1956 Clipper, and would be hard to prise out of that.

Cheers

Brian