If my memory serves E. L. Cord's corporate empire included Cord-Auburn-Duesenberg, Eastern Airlines and Lycoming - possibly others of which I am unaware.

Many thanks John!

Am I right in assuming that Packard was a much bigger operation than Auburn?

It seems Auburns Cords and Duesenbergs were powered by Lycoming engines but Packard built their own engines - is this correct?

I would think the actuator would be painted the same color as the tranny/engine whether bronze or green or silver. Mine looks natural now but there is enough bronze on it to determine it was originally that way.

Nick: here are the production numbers for the 810/812 which was produced from 1935 through 1937.

1935 1629

1936 997

1937 281

Total production of Duesys was between 470 and 480 units total from introduction in 1928 to end in the late 30's.


John F. Shireman

nick: First of all welcome to the forum. I don't know if I can find any figures on employment numbers at the Packard Factory between 1935 and 1941, but here are production figures for those years.

1935 52,045

1936 80,978

1937 109,815

1938 50,260

1939 76,573

1940 76,927

1941 66,906


John F. Shireman

Hi everybody, I am new here -

Does anyone have or could they point me to information about the number of workers employed by Packard in manufacturing year on year between 1935 and 1941? Or failing that the number of cars completed for each of these years?

If anyone has the same info for Auburn/Cord/Duesenberg that would be fantastic.

Thanks in advance.

Mine is au naturale, just like God made her. I'm thinking of polishing the case of my aluminum T/U and all the accessories including the p/b actuator, then covering them in high temp clear..... Might put me a plexiglass cover over the trans tunnel, too! (JK!)

I received Bob's unit from GA today and began cleaning it up. It appears to have beenpainted the metallic green color like one I did for a Clipper. I have seen ('56 senior) bronze units, "natural" units with no paint, no evidence of there ever having been paint and I've seen green ones. Has anyone ever found a Green painted actuator on a senior car with a bronze trans?

Ok gentlemen, I got some more info on the aluminum heads for Packard V8's. We can get them for $2000 a set, that's as low as they can go until there's more sets spoken for. I'd like to buy a set, but I'm not buying 10 of them just to get one set for me. I need some help here people!!

Conn -

Don't feel stupid about this. Plenty of people in the hobby were unwittingly taken in by these pictures when they were published in an article that was presented as a factual account back in 2002 and by not just one, but TWO clubs. Worse yet, it wasn't even April Fool's day, and the author had been honored as guest speaker at more than one National meet, with all expenses paid, too.

Shortly after those images were first published, I - a rank amateur and with nothing more than a piece of software that cost less than $99 (US) - created the quick-n-dirty image of the 1956 Patrician Twelve just to show what was possible - phakery, that is.

I'll let John tell you the full story.