Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

I was admiring the 52 Mayfair of Denny Z? and wondered about the four porta-vents on the rear quarter.
packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=1918&cid=54
I learned to drive in a 52 Mayfair of the same color, Twilight Taupe and Sunset red metallic. My memory says there were only three porta-vents on our Mayfair. Only the Patrician had four. Did the owners add one or know if the dealer did? I think I like the four better. Our interior was a maroon or dark red leather and a gray nylon. I really liked that car and have a soft spot for it. Here's a pic of me and an early girlfriend with the Mayfair.

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My God Randy, what are you in that pic, like 12-13? Ahh, the good 'ol days!!

I believe I was 16 at the time. And YES, they were the good old days. I was living in Calif. then.

I just noticed this, is that a dog inside the car, on the driver's seatback?

Didn't the AQ book (or maybe it was Dawes) mention the 4th ventiport as option and owners and a lot of dealers added them to "lesser" cars for the very reason you stated-- they felt they gave the car a better balance.

I don't recall reading that in the AQ book, so it may have been Dawes. And yes Eric, that is a chihuahua on the back of the front seat. Anytime anyone went near the car, "Rusty" would jump in. He was my Mom's dog and loved to ride.
There was a 52 Mayfair in this color scheme on ebay and may still be there. It was in Oregon and had maroon and yellow vinyl door panels?? I still have the blue dealer card that came with our car showing the key codes and color codes.

Randy -

Fer a minute there, I thought you had posted a rare snapshot of James Dean with some Hollywood starlet!

BTW, I checked my edition of the Dawes book, and the only reference to ventiports for 1952 was for the Patrician - noting four were installed, compared to three for the previous series. I did find an artist's rendering of a 1953 Mayfair with three ventiports in that same book, but the caption advised that they were deleted from actual production - with no clear reference as to "when". It also shows an actual 1953 Convertible with three ports, but claims they were later deleted from production - hinting that some had been previously built with them. Perhaps their elimination has something to do with material allocations during the Korean Conflict, but I'm drifting off-topic a bit.

Curiously, the Model Info pages for the 25th Series, here, include what appears to be a factory photo showing a 250 (Mayfair) hardtop with four ports. However, I'm not so familiar with those cars to be able to say what is correct versus a discrepancy in marketing materials. (For example, the 1955 Packard brochure shows a Patrician with a side trim treatment that never saw regular production.)

As extensive as the Kimes/AQ book is, it is difficult to find such details therein. I did find a pic of a '52 Mayfair with four ports, but nothing about that particular aspect.

There's good aesthetic reason for adding the fourth, but unless someone has a documented explanation, I can only suspect it was a dealer or owner modifcation.

I remember my father adding an additional port to lesser Packards to dress-up the appearance. In my mind, four look better than three.

It was my understanding that the ports could be ordered as an accessory. I will have to dig up where I read that at.

I just remember reading it was an accessory--something in the low dollar range like 3 or 4 and owners and dealers alike ordered to enhance or balance the car because the extra space made it look like something was missing. I guess it also made a low end car move up in the world.