Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Executives have their model name scripts between the chrome strips on rear fenders. Normally. On my hardtop they are fitted at about the same position but above the upper script. Although the car has been repainted there is no evidence that these scripts have been relocated. As my car has chassis No. 5677A-1990, it is one of the last Executives built (and one of the last Detroit built Packards, at that). So, I wonder if this is a running change (but why?) or just the result of lacking motivation during "the last days in the bunker"? Are there more Executives with this badging around?

(please try to ignore the flowers on the cars side. So do I )

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Don't recall ever seeing it other than between the strips but since Packard name was in that approx location on original seniors, maybe that was a running change to make things consistent across the line and reinforce the fact this was a Packard, not fancy Clipper. If they did that though, surprised the Executive script wasn't also on the front fenders.

Oh no, where did I have my mind? Of course, its the Packard script, not Executive. But the question remains the same, anyway...

Is the Executive script anywhere on car except trunk? Looked thru several books and every picture shows the Packard script between the trim & nothing else. After they apparently went to trouble of moving it on yours, am really surprised that Executive didn't appear on the front fender where Patrician or Four Hundred would have been. How about the glove box. Does it have the senior panel inside door with cup holders and pockets or the plain one.

I notice you are in Switzerland. Was the car originally sold in Europe?

No, I bought the car in California.

Interior seems to me strictly Clipper Custom with standard Packard badging (steering wheel center, "V" on passenger's side with Packard script and -medallion etc. Instruments, switches, door panels or glove box door is Clipper, too. I have a photo of the dash but it's too big to upload it here. The only Executive script on the car is on the trunk lid. This is how it looks (with hood ornament mounted and repainted by a former owner in the U.S.):

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Is it push button ?????

It has push button ultramatic, tinted power windows, power seat bench, signal-seeking radio, single power antenna on FL fender and rare "brake" lens above steering wheel (where the lever radiant is on non-push buttons).

The Executive script only appears on the trunk lid of this model - both 2- and 4-door body styles. The Packard script plates on the rear fenders were the only script plates to appear along the sides of the Executives; no script plates were used on the front fenders of these models. Unlike the other Senior Packards, all exterior script plates on the Execs were chrome-plated - not gold-plated.

I can only guess that the placement of the script plates on the rear fenders of your car was a factory error, during the last days in the bunker, or the result of some previous collision repair. I've not personally seen any documented production change in that regard.

The instrument panel was the same used in Clipper Customs, but with the Senior gold screen and ornaments. Balance of interior trim was same as Clipper Custom.

To the best of my knowledge, all '56 models that were factory-equipped with pushbutton shift would have had the red (parking) brake lens in place of the shift quadrant that was used with manual transmission selector. However, because the parking brake light was optional on the Clipper Deluxe and Super models, it might have been possible that the red lens did not light up on some of those cars.

Though the Executive may not be a Senior Packard in the truest sense, I find this model to be a very attractive combination of elements from both the Packard and Clipper lines - plus a few unique pieces.

I knew that Packards and Clippers used different dash screen patterns but I thought that use of gold or silver threads depended either on interior colors or customer's choice. I understand now that all Clippers had silver and all Packards golden dashes, and the patterns differed, too, between both model lines...

It was indeed the styling mix of the two car ranges that brought me to the Executive, but to me, all V8s are very attractive cars.

The grille screen pattern and color also differ between '55 and '56 - based on what I saw between the Patricians I've owned from both years. My favorite is the '56 gold screen with the repeating turned pattern. While somewhat reminiscent of a by-gone era, it's more subtle than most engine-turned finishes.

To me, the 56th Series Clipper Super and Custom models were too similar in exterior appearance. Replacing the Clipper Custom with the Packard Executive was a good idea, but it came too late. As the entry-level Packard, the Exec made for a nice transition from Junior to Senior product lines, IMHO.