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Doesn't the same collector own some others & did this go to same place? Anyone yet have an idea what the loop of cable or hose is over the engine and starter--what ever it is just doesn't seem Packard, custom or not.

I've got that kind of money but only when I'm dreaming.

Right, Brian, I believe it's the one that was never delivered to Packard but stayed in the hands of the maker, Mitchell-Bentley all these years. It was at the Centennial in Warren.

One of the other Panthers that was here in NJ in relative obscurity changed hands privately and quietly a short time ago, to another NJ collector I believe. It seems more common that these types of cars change hands privately than at auction, at least up to this point in time.

What would really be nice, if we haven't permanently chased him away from this site, would be if Leon Dixon would update the status of the 4 Panthers for us. Do you hear us, Leon?

The Packard Panther that I took pictures of at Warren in 1999 was red in color. I personally think that the color combination on the Panther that just sold is terrible. The added hood scoop looks like a sore thumb.

At onetime one of the Panthers was painted silver if I am correct. Being the selling price is $700,000 I wonder if that kind of money would by the Predator in today's market. Not that I have that kind of money but $700,000 would certainly buy me a nice classic Packard of 30's.

John F. Shireman

Personally, I think this car looks much better than the PanAmerican that Macauley customized (the white car updated with a lot more '55 elements), but to each, their own.

IMHO, the updates merely reflect the changing tastes of that period. While I don't think the Panther body was designed with two-tone paint in mind, two-tones were all the rage (just look at Packard's production paint schemes for '55 or '56), and you'll find a similar hood scoops on the T-bird and other sport-type cars of the time. The one thing the really looks out of place on this car, at least to me, is the removable hardtop roof, but I accept it all as a significant piece of Packard and automotive history.

There are two surviving Panthers that were not updated - one red/orange and the other silver. I seem to recall seeing both of those cars, still wearing their original colors at the Centennial, but that was before I had a digital camera, and didn't do film-type cameras then.

Hard to say what the Predictor would bring under similar conditions as, being in the hands of the Studebaker Museum for what seems like forever, I doubt if it would ever go up for sale. I heard the car was driven on the road, briefly, about the time it was under restoration, but it handled very poorly, which I suspect was the result of putting such a massive body on the Junior chassis. In contrast, the Panthers, like the PanAms, look very roadworthy.

As a fan of postwar Packards, I probably wouldn't consider any prewar car for same or less money, but that's just a matter of personal taste/interest. The prewar Packards that I find the most attractive are the Darrin convertibles, but even one of those would be out of my budget. When it comes to owning and working on a Packard, I'll stick to my V8s.

I'm neither defending nor condemning. I'm just glad we had this update on one of the surviving Panthers - with pix.

"Predator"? I assume you're referring to the Predictor? There have been serious overtures by private parties to purchase it; nearly everything is for sale at some price, I can only assume the magic # hasn't been offered. Hopefully it won't, I'd not like to see it fall into private hands.

Isn't a Predator one of those CIA-operated drones?

PS - the black/copper colors apparently return the car to the colors painted when it was updated by the original builder in 1955 to include 1955 features, the hardtop, etc. Original color was apparently blue, according to the old Dixon article. Color is a very subjective thing, but personally I like the black/copper combination.

Owen: I guess the Google spell checker got me on that one about the Predictor.

John F. Shireman

Here are some different colored Panthers. I imagine some of them are the same cars but painted different colors. The blue one and the silver one have clipper tail lights. The silver one has the McCullough SuperCharger.

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The silver one's engine comp has the standard radiator outlet rather than the modified on the copper one and look at the kink on the hose. It also doesn't look to have the same loop of something over engine compt but there is something a little further back.

Don't know if same car, but for my 2 bits the copper-black that sold at auction is much better looking than the copper yellow.

I'd trade it in a New York minute for a pair of Twelve cylinder open cars, AND a Super Eight open car.
I will also add that the Copper Panther color looks better with the black than with the yellow. Day and night.