Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

This has probably been answered here before, but a quick search did not find the definitive answer.

All I've ever seen with manuals were conversions and the late Steve Williams had a Caribbean the Earl C. Anthony dealership had converted to manual transmission, but can anyone substantiate a senior car built with a manual trans?

There's a eBay offering of a '56 400 with 2x4 carbs and manual delivered to Earl C. Anthony. The seller never states he has documentation as to the originality of the car, only that it's "unusual."

1956 Packard 400

jack vines

I can't speak to 1955.

For 1956 the factory information available to me appears in conflict. There was no Utica engine build code that I'm aware of for a 1956 Caribbean (374) engine with flywheel for manual shift, there was such code for the other models with the 374 engine. In conflict is the April 11, 1956 revision to build codes which I've previously posted on this site which shows code "MS" for "Transmission Manual Shift" available for all 1956 models including the Caribbean.

The April 11 document is noted as the 4th revision to the Approved Code List. It does not indicate the changes from the prior Approved Code List so perhaps adding MS for the Caribbeans was a late change?

EDITED.

Jack -

I've only seen the "MS" production code listed (as "Transmission Manual Shift") for the 56 Seniors on a set of pages of "APPROVED CODES FOR 56TH SERIES" on the Aller Collection of CDs published by Mid-America Packards.

However, auction images for the subject vehicle include a Car Production Order from S-P, and "MS" does not appear among the line of production codes. Friend Randy Berger obtained a similar document for a uniquely equipped 56 Patrician that he owned, and it showed a special code, "REQ. 209", which I believe represented a special build request, and I've since seen other examples of this "REQ." coding. In the absence of such code for this car, I doubt if the 2x4 and manual trans was factory install.

Engine number might shed some additional light.

Regardless, it is an unusual and interesting. Sadly, I don't have time, space, or money for it.

Very unusual production order for sure:

No clue provided as to what the "Special Production Request" entailed

Seller mentions rare single color, but the build sheet shows, "TuTone Paint ($23) and a black horizontal stripe.

Why would a 2x4-bbl engine be ordered with "Export Low-Compression Head Gaskets"?

Why a northern CA car ordered with "Speedometer in Km/Hr, 6-ply tires, Heavy Duty Suspension"?

In any case, the buyer wanted something beyond the already relatively rare 400 hardtop.

jack vines

I helped a coworker track down a caribbean that his family owned. It was unusual that it had multiple build orders. It was ordered for export to France, so had low compression head, hd shocks, and special interior. The car took to long to deliver and the original family cancelled the order. Then it was reorder two more times. Eventually the coworkers father took delivery of it at the factory at a discount. His father was head general outside counsel for Packard at the time. The car was owned by Steve in Napa at time, then to NJ, and eventually to the Houston area. The family lived in Louisville, KY when they originally took delivery.

Someone bought the car, it is marked as sold.

I believe the unusual paint is the fact that it is a single color paint code M.

There is no other color, just the stainless ribbed trim down the sides.

I don’t see the code GS for automatic transmission. So neither the MS or GS is visible.

Saw that car on eBay and rolled my eyes.

Single tone paint jobs weren’t that rare in 1956, they were usually later build dates than early. My former 400 was single tone, all Norwegian Forest Green.