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

The dealer pamplet that I have for 1953 Packard Clipper has a Packard Clipper emblem on the hump of the rear door on both sides of the car. None of the other pictures that I have seen has these emblems on the car. I checked my rear doors and there is no evidence of holes where the emblem was mounted. The only place these emblems are on my car is on the trunk. So I guess my question is. Was it an option or should all 53's have this emblem on the side of the car?

I seem to remember those side emblems only on Clipper Deluxe.

Dana

Someone will answer who knows these cars. Packard wasn't consistent with details like these and didn't necessarily do what they indicated in their literature. These subjects keep some of us busy for hours. This is one of the best reasons to attend meets and such as the one that ended today.

Enjoy the car

Regards

John Harley

Not picturing a separate emblem on the hump. There was a crest in the widened portion of the chrome spear as it met the hump and narrowed down again but believe that was only on deluxe club sedan, Mayfair hardtop and convertible.

Dans53,

Exterior styling on junior and senior Packards of that year carried varied and different adornments. My 1953 Packard data book shows the differing levels on Packard's line from back then, but what is your model number and maybe I can help a bit more?

Dans53 -

While the exploded views are not entirely comprehensive in their coverage, the factory parts book is more specific and true to form than sales literature. A little sleuthing and page turning in the parts book can go a long way. The 1948-1954 Packard Parts List is archived here at P'Info and available - FREE - for downloading, in sections.

In that parts book, Plate Nos. 14, 15, and 16 show an emblem at the front of the rear fender moulding, pointing us to Gr. 30.79352. The application listing for that Group advises P/N 441654 as applicable only to the 2665-77-79 models. The front matter of the parts book decodes those body/model numbers as the 1953 (26th Series) Clipper Deluxe Club Sedan, 300 Mayfair (hardtop), and 300 Convertible Coupe, respectively.

However, if we go a step further and check the Numerical Index section, P/N 441654 also turns up in Grs. 30.43672 and 30.0487.

Gr. 30.43672 is for the bottom outside moulding emblem used on the rear doors of the 2662 models - the 1953 Clipper Deluxe Sedan. Sure enough, I found it on Plate No. 10 - though the emblem detail isn't really clear in the image.

Gr. 30.0487 is for a rear quarter belt moulding trim shield emblem used on the 2678 models - the 1953 Caribbean. However, I could find no corresponding illustration.

I don't know the particulars in this instance but one thing to remember about dealer pamphlets, pictures in shop manuals, etc. is that often these were done prior to the actual start of production and minor differences are to be expected.

Exterior views of '53 Packards from data book.

Attach file:

---

  (124.17 KB)

this is the picture that I am referring to. My model number is 2692

Attach file:

---

  (34.16 KB)

Dans53 -

I don't see any "emblem" on the rear fender in that picture, but perhaps what we have here is a problem with terminology. What I do see in the image that you supplied is what the parts book refers to as a "script plate" - in this case, one that reads "Packard Clipper".

Although your image shows a 2-door body, your car is a 4-door body. So, we need to go back to the Body section of the 48-54 parts book and look to the pages covering rear doors. Gr. 30.46795 shows that the "Packard Clipper" script plate was only used on the rear doors of the 2662 model - the Clipper Deluxe Sedan.

However, looking further down the listings in that same Group, there's a P/N for a clip for 2662-92 models - that is, BOTH the Clipper Deluxe Sedan (2662) AND the Clipper Sedan (2692) models. Naturally, one has to wonder why they would list a clip for the script plate for the 2692, if the script plate wasn't applicable to that same model.

I can only speculate that the "Packard Clipper" script plate might have been intended for the Clipper Sedan (2692), early on, but was withrdrawn from that model, yet the company failed to make the corresponding change for the clip. Catalog errors happen, regardless of brand and time frame.