Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

I have a Packard Twelve brochure and pictures various Packards in these colors. I haven't seen them listed anywhere else.

Packard Twelve sedan 7 passenger - Inness green
Twelve limo for 7 passengers - Titian Maroon
Twelve sedan for 5 passengers - Rubens Ochre
Twelve Club sedan for 5 passengers - Gainsborough Blue
Twelve Coupe for 5 passengers - Fragonard Blue
.... (don't laff!) just think Phartedon white
Twelve coupe for 2 or 4 passengers - Rembrandt Red
Twelve Coupe-roadster for 2 or 4 pass - Cellini Metal
Twelve Convertible Victoria for 5 pass - Van Dyck Brown
Twelve Convertible sedan for 5 pass - Raphael Tan
Twelve Phaeton for 4 pass - Corot Green
Twelve Sport Phaeton for 4 pass - Turner Gold

I'm not familiar enough with prewar cars to offer much help.

However, I've noticed that Packard's paint color names seemed to follow a theme in some years. 1955 was gemological; 1956 was geographical. In this case, all the adjectives are names of painters.

Perhaps this is an extreme example of a brochure taking "artistic license".

Curious that none of those color names coincide with the 1933 Sherwin-Williams paint codes lists for "all models". Yet we know that Twelves could be had in non-stock colors - perhaps these are a listing of some of those.

Do the actual colors look decent? Packard occasionally gave some glamorous names for some not so glamorous to the point of even being drab colors. Maybe an effort to give an ordinary color some class.

An era of finanncial hardship = drab or subdued colors.
An era of financial prosperity = brighter more vibrant colors.
A car built for wealthy, sophisticated clientele = reserved, non-flashy colors.

Here is one picture. I just had to use Fragonard Blue.
AND - I like intimate seating arrangements.

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Randy, the coupe for 5 passengers, sometimes called a coupe victoria, is an extremely rare body style, far more so than a convertible coupe. Few remain, many have been chopped to make a faux convertible victoria in the interests of commanding a higher value. Quite a shame, it's a lovely proportioned body style.