PackardV8, I can't remember whether I saw it in the big AQ Packard book or in The Packard Club's (PAC) "The Packard Cormorant" magazine almost 20 years ago, but I believe author George Hamlin reprinted a lot of memos between Packard president Jim Nance and his product planning guru, Roger Bremer. Nance specifically asked Bremer about the front folding armrest that was used in the Imperials, and wanted to know what it would take to get it into the Patrician. It probably would have been a part of any 1957 Detroit Packards, but alas, we'll never really know for sure.


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Didn't Larry have a 1955 Caribbean convertible as well? Do you know if he still has it?

It must have been expensive to ship a car back from Australia, but I can see why he might have wanted to do it. Most of the '56 Caribbean hardtops seem to be Dover White/Danube Blue/Roman Copper, but I think it's a lot more spiffy in this color combo! Can't say I'd ever seen one like that before.

I use something similar for looking up people, and I found two hits for Jay Quigley (with the "E") in New Britain CT. There's also a younger Jay D. Quigley in Wallingford CT. PM me if you want me to send you the results page.

My friend Bill was in the process of restoring his 1953 Caribbean when we first became friends in college, so I learned a fair amount about the 1953 Caribbeans through sharing the research that he was doing about his car.

I'll start with the caveat of "In Regular Production" -- because there's always a chance that someone could surface Ed Macauley's personal 1953 Caribbean #1 with custom die cast scripts from Creative Industries, etc. -- but In Regular Production, no 1953 Caribbeans had a nameplate script on it that said "Caribbean." The only advertisement ever issued for that model clearly shows one, but that was purely a glimmer in some Detroit ad guy's brain. What happens often is that people will take the 1954-1956 nameplates (chrome for 1954, gold for 1955 & 56) and retrofit them to their 1953 Caribbeans. I'd be willing to bet that this is what happened to your car before you bought it.

I don't think it's a Cadillac underneath all that cheese and dreck - I think it's a Buick Riviera.

It must be some funeral director's scheme to drum up some business - it has the type of styling that will frighten you to death!

Whoa! I followed up with MIDan on the location for the car he spotted because it sounded like it was really near my stomping grounds. It's not only a 1956 hardtop, but a Caribbean at that! It's a shame to expose the car to the elements, but on this crisp but sunny day after a snowstorm in Metro Detroit, it did look kinda pretty like that...

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Well, sorry, but it's not your old car. The Michigan car is # 2447, and was sold in or near Grosse Pointe. Interestingly enough, this car was also a 1954 sale.

I know of just such a car here in Michigan, but I don't know the serial number. If it turns out to be your former, car, it was bought by a college student around 1975. It was fairly rusty and received a trunk floor transplant as part of its restoration. It's still owned by the same family, and is maintained as a car to be driven and enjoyed. I'll let you know what the VIN is when I find out!

What city were you in at the time that you owned the Caribbean? What color combination was it? Electric windows or crank? Any other identifying features you can remember?

I agree with BigKev -- I'd really like to see you finish this sweet project!