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Was it common for the spare tire to come with a trim ring and a 5th hubcap? I was showing pictures to a freind who is big into classic cars(mostly Corvette's but he shocked me how much he knew about packards) and he thought that was odd. I didn't know if you guys could tell me if that was common or odd. Again thanks in advance for the help being brand new to packards everyone here is such a great help!

As to a 5th hubcap, it varies with year and model. Some of the higher end postwar models had a plain black painted hubcap for the spare, some had a cast steel affair with a hole in it for a wrench to remove the tie-down bolt.

Owen thanks for the quick response! Mine is a 41 clipper and it has the trim ring and it has the black painted hub cap on the spare do you think that was common for a pre war clipper? Or maybe done after the war?

Andy, I suspect the black cap may be correct but I think I better let someone who knows these years and models better than I do take it from here.

Here is a photo of the spare tire on my 47 Clipper Custom. Note the black cover also has a small 'Packard' decal. I hope this helps.

(o[]o)

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According to the parts manual, all Clippers that got trim rings came with 5 trim rings. The parts manual also indicates that models 1951, 2000-01-03-06-10-11, 2100-01-03-06-11-26-30 got the plain black 'hubcap' for the spare.

This is the best site extant. Just when you think you've seen, heard it all, even on a relative of your own car, someone posts something here at PackardInfo that's new
to you.
So 'tis with this black, Packard-emblemed cover of the 1941-47 Clippers' spare tire.

Thank you, not that i'm gonna run out and buy one. Meanwhile, have always wondered, anyone have a hunchimate, guess-o-rama, the percentage of 1941-47 Clippers delivered sans trim rings?

Were any, many, seniors so delivered? My '47 Super had them, but as they had a few dings, despite being an always garaged, 82,631-original-mile California car, i ordered a set of new trim rings, then spent an evening at the buffing wheel polishing them even more.

But when i went to put them on the car, i spent the longest time holding one up to the front wheel, then removing it, standing back, comparing the way it looked with and without trim ring.

And stuck the gleaming new trim rings in the closet where they remain. So, as always, am interested in whatever historical vindication i can get. My tastes are not for everyone. I like sedate, understated to the point where all you see are the car's lines, NO distractions. My car's black, with blackwall tires, skirts. I removed the bulky postwar bumper extensions fore and aft, "fender shields," in Packard parlance, as well as the heavy, useless front license plate bracket, leaving the car in clearner '42 mode.

And i pulled the Super Clipper script from the side of the car, as the Custom Supers wisely omitted that tackiness because you never saw such on a R-R/Bentley or anything fine from across the Atlantic.
I even removed the Packard script from the trunk lid, as the Custom Eight bathtubs did--- the only thing those porcine monstrosities got right.

The only bling on my "windstreamed (Packard's term)" ebony carriage are the cloisonne front hubcaps. I pulled the rear hubcaps since the fender skirts cover them and all they do is add unsprung weight. Am a big believer in a few pounds here, a few pounds there, and before you know it, your car has a curb weight 150 or so pounds less than factory, weight being the enemy in any road car.

In fact, so help me, i toyed with the idea of pulling the front hubcaps, because the black powdercoated Packard wheels are handsome industrial design in their own right,
but i left 'em on.

Saw a period photo of the Los Angeles police chief's black '47 Super Clipper, but couldn't see whether the City and County of Los Angeles sprang for trim rings.

So, tho' eminently happy, would dearly love what historical vindication anyone might muster.

Thanks!