As to the Citroen hydro-pheumatic suspension, this was not found on the 2CV, but on the larger Citroens. While in Germany in the early 80's I had a large Citroen which had a pneumatic cylinder on each wheel filled with compressed nitrogen. This provided the "spring". The hydraulic pump was connected to these cylinders and leveled the car fore and aft as well as side to side. It also controlled the body height through a lever in the drivers compartment. It was the best riding car I ever drove, though my 56 Patrician ran a close second,

I once heard a story (rumor?) that Ford bought the patent rights for the T-L for the Lincoln, but decided it was too expensive. Anyone else ever hear this.

As to not seeing any Packards in parking lots, a lot depended on where you were. I remeber driving through Iowa on Route 30 in the early fifties. Every town had a selection of new and old Fords, Chevies and Plymouths, but the independents varied from town to town (most of which looked alike by the way). If the town had a Nash dealer there was a sprinkling of Nashes. The next town might have Hudsons or Studebakers. Towns with Packard dealers were rarer, but you would find them and then there would be a selection of new and old Packards. Few people would travel 50 miles to buy a Packard or other independent bedcause of the problems of service.

Hanlon plated my 56 Patrician bumpers and after about three years the chrome began to peel off. I found after I had them done that Hanlon skips the copper plate phase. I cannot recommend Hanlon.

In 1953, Consumer Reports rated the Cavalier above the Patrician because the Cavalier could be ordered with overdrive, while Ultramatic was standard on the Patrician. A friend of mine is in the process of restoring a 53 Cavalier with overdrive, but they seem to be few and far between. Personally I would take the overdrive every time.

I agree that using a bumper jcak on a 55 or 56 can be unnerving, but it is a big help when it comes to getting a rear wheel out from under the fender. A frame jack would probably work, but an axle jack won't.

Back in the 90's I restored a 56 Caribbean hardtop. It was an early model (number 9) and it had the underseat heater which worked fine, as did the seat. I was told by one "expert" that the problem with the underseat heater was only on the convertibles, so they cancelled it on all Caribbeans.

This picture makes my point exactly. This is apparently an early 55 before they added that upper color to the front fender and front door. IMHO this is the best of the 55 Clippers.

I have no data to prove it, but in my experience most packards with standard transmission also came with overdrive. It made for a much better road car and a more flexible setup. The only 56 I have actually seen with a stick was a Clipper Super with overdrive and it had been driven from Colorado to the National Packard Meet in Atlanta, Georgia. The owner said he drove it all the time and it would cruise at 70 or higher all day.

About ten years ago I bought a 56 Patrician painted Danube blue over Adriatic blue. A little later I was talking to an ex Packard employee who worked in the "special" paint shop. I asked him why the VIN plate was blank for the paint code. He said the only cars with blank paint codes were either painted non-standard colors or were painted standard colors (as was mine) in the "special" paint shop. The latter were either show cars or were intended for senior Packard executives. I always surmised that mine was a show car as the build sheet said "shipped to New York City for the Sales Department".