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I have finished restoring a 1947 Packard Clipper in Australia and I have a replacement VN (Vehicle Number) plate that I need to have engraved / stamped.
Problem is that the original one was that heavily rusted that I cant make out any of the original delivery details such as the city and date where it was originally purchased.
I'm hoping someone may have some way of tracking down this information from the original factory / dealer data and I have the engine, vehicle number and firewall number if required.
Thanks in advance.

It might be possible to read if you put a piece of typing paper over it and carefully rub across it with a number 2 pencil. Sometimes this works. If it was embossed with heavy enough strokes, you could put the paper on the back side and rub with the pencil and perhaps produce an image that you can read. Another possibility is to put the original under a very strong enlarger of some sort. Ernie

The identification of the selling dealer and date may never have been stamped in the first place, we see MANY plates that weren't stamped with that information.

Quote:

Attached is a photo of a reproduction by Bill Clark who is the only source I know of for a correct 47 data plate. Very inexpensive.

The '47 data plate was sourced from:
Wm. D. Clark
2014 Cactus Circle
San Antonio, TX 78258
his email is:
clarkwc@aol.com

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Here's the print for the plate also showing details for the holes for mounting. This particular style plate listing rather than just mentioning the total number of patents began life in 1938 as a decal and there are many variations in the patent number listings. Replaced with a new style for the 23rd Series. Also note 2 acceptable materials for 1947 (and continuing on into 1948), tinned steel or aluminum.

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47Clipper282, other than finding information about your car's history from some prior owner or scrap of paper left in the car or just a luck encounter with someone who knows, the only other chance would be if the original delivery ticket for the car still existed. I suspect I have the largest collection of these that have survived and that is only about 900 tickets out of about a 1? million sold. Thus the chance is very slim but if you send me the theft-proof number I'd be glad to take a look.

G'day 47Clipper282,
to PackardInfo, good to see another Aussie on board.

Sorry I can't help with your query, but a question. Was your Clipper LHD or RHD. If RHD probably delivered new in Oz through one of the local Packard dealers? And speaking of Oz, I'm the Secretary of the Packard Automobile Club of Australia Inc. If you're not already a member of PACA, click on the link, to learn more about the club. Or give me a call on 0423 171 170 if you'd like to talk Packards.

And I invite to include your '47 Clipper in the Packard Owner's Registry here.

Thanks for the reply

The car is RHD so it sounds like it may have been distributed in Australia.
Great to see another Packard enthusiast in Australia!!!

"Great to see another Packard enthusiast in Australia!!!"

Not just another, there's a whole club full of us Packard enthusiasts downunder.

One of our members, Mat has a list of purchasers from the original dealer in Sydney, Ira Berk, and another, Peter Packard, a member of this forum, has a list from Kellow Faulkner, the Melbourne dealer.
Mal (Ozstatman) can give you their contact details.
Strongly advise you to join PACA!!!