Sir,

This is what mine (#4361) looks like. I believe it's original. Note the stitched seam: I have an image somewhere I downloaded of a car for sale on EBay; its dash looks perfect, but there's no seam.
Obviously, the under-dash console to accommodate the CD player and a couple of speakers isn't original, but it's easily unbolted.

Paul C.

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Re non standard control layouts
The first picture was taken on Saturday January 28 2012 at the Post Vintage Car Club of Tasmania's South East Rally. It shows a very fine Charlesworth bodied 1935 Alvis. Note how the gas pedal is between the clutch and brake pedals; I understand this was not uncommon in the vintage period and occasionally seen even up to WW2.

Never well known outside of RHD markets, Alvis was a Coventry, UK based manufacturer of automobiles, aero engines and military vehicles. In the 1930s its automobiles were technically sophisticated, with independent front suspension and all-synchromesh 4 speed transmissions, and some had long stroke OHV sixes that were large by British standards. The automobiles displayed distinctly sporting character and the big sixes sat a little below Bentley in the hierarchy of prestige. Automobile production ceased in 1966 although the company continued to produce defense materiel.

The pre war automobiles are highly sought after, very valuable and very well supported with spares by Red Triangle Automotive Services, which inherited the factory's stock of parts and commissions manufacture of new ones as required.

The second picture shows my own Patrician - the only Packard among 135 rally entrants. It attracted much favorable comment on the day.

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Hi
This is my first post on PackardInfo and I'm motivated to add my two cent's worth.
I understand that my 1956 Patrician left the USA, it had a bit part in 'Thirteen Days', a film about the Cuban Missile Crisis. it appeared parked outside a government office building.
There's a scene in the Ed Wood cult classic 'Plan 9 From Outer Space' - said by some to be the worst movie ever made - of a 1955 or 1956 Clipper cruising along a freeway.
I recall an early 1950s classic film set in San Francisco that had the female lead driving a Reinhart Patrician. Can't remember its name just now.
Finally, there was a TV mini series shown earlier this year about the Kennedys that had a Panama Yellow and Dover White 1956 Clipper hardtop in the background of one scene supposedly set at Hyannis Port. I took a screen shot:

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