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Working on a feature for the website and trying to confirm/figure out based on Series, what was the starting sequential production number:

1958-1955 - 1001
1938-1954 = 2001
1937-1935 = 201

The prior years are where this gets a bit confusing for me.

It appears that the prior years didn't follow this yearly reset, or perhaps I am misunderstanding it.

Any insights there?

This nice little chart is from an old Packard Club Membership Directory, not sure it's still in the current versions. The vehicle numbering system (not serial number) that utilized the sequential number component fully began with the 9th Series and may have includes some of the last 8th Series. There may be a bit of an open question concerning whether Canadian production numbering always followed this.

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Out of curiosity has the reason for the high starting numbers been published? I could understand starting with the 11 or even 101 to maybe account for prototypes or experimental cars etc but the 1001 and 2001 seems to be carrying that reason a bit far. It would almost lead one to believe that a company wanted the total production numbers published for general public consumption to be inflated. Did all mfgs use a high starting number?

Dave, thanks for the information.

On your car, what format is the pattern plate for the Vehicle Number?

Another question would be the 56 Hawks and 57-58 models.

Take 57 for example, I see every VN entered in the registry is 57L#### format. So there is no indicator in that number as to which model it is for?

57L was the Packard designation. The other Stude models are detailed on pages VI and VII of the 57 parts manual and I think the Y or P is somewhere on the tag. Here are the pertinent details on the 57 Packard models while the 56GH detail is in the Stude manual.

No idea if the sequence number remained the same for all models though or if the different models carried a different series of numbers.

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There is an excellent limited distribution publication which details the various patent and vehicle number plates used by Packard between 1900 and 1956. As of a few months ago there is now a display at the Proving Grounds of each of the plate types and styles. The publication has no info on the numbering or plates of the Studebaker-based Packards of 1957-1958, nor am I particularly familiar with them.

My 1934 has what is known as a style "O" plate, 3-1/4 x 4-1/2 etched brass, black and nickel plate, with text citing ".....more than eleven hundred U. S. Patents.... It was in use for the 10th Series and part way thru the 11th, then replace by the very similar type "P" plate which was in used partly thru the 12th Series. Type P added an extra blank to enter the city of sale, and still referenced the same number of patents.

Dave, thanks for that. But I guess what I'm interested in is the format of the VN. Is it BodyNumber-##### or is it something else? Or are their seperate boxes on the plate for the different information?

Howard, thank for that info. I guess that was my question was if the actually VN for 57-58 contained any marker on the model. Or if there are serial number ranges that correspond to specific models.

The Packard schema with BodyNumber-ProductionNumber is easy to parse and decipher. But it appears VN's outside that schema are not conducive to parsing unless there is some kind of other reference to extrapolate more information. Like certain number ranges being corresponding to certain BodyNumbers.

Vehicle number space is stamped "703 579", 703 corresponds to a 1934 Eight 1100 which only was available as a 5-passenger sedan. 579 is my sequential number.

"BKLYN" for Packard Brooklyn and the date of delivery completes the information in the remaining two spaces. Curiously each stamped in the wrong position as is often seen with Brooklyn plates of the era. Packard Brooklyn on Atlantic Avenue was a factory branch under Packard New York.

Prior to the body type plus production sequence number method of vehicle numbers, you cannot determine model and body type from the VN. Occasionally right-hand drive models are distinguished by an "R" suffix.

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Dave, thanks. I just wanted to make sure the body number was the first part of the VN. This is what I show for your VN:

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