Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

My brother is currently visiting Portugal. He sent me some pictures from a car lot that he had found. There seems to be interesting bunch of old cars waiting for something to happen. I guess someone has saved them from a crusher.

But one of them is a Packard. At first I didn't notice what was wrong but then I realized that it is a station wagon and Packard didn't build any from that body style.




It is either a weird customized model or a coachbuilt by some European company. I thought that that rear part resembled '57 Mercury station wagon but after searching some pictures I couldn't find any car model that had similar shape.

The rear lights don't look like lights that might have used in cars in 50's but they might have been taken from a bus. Many European coachbuilders built busses after passenger car coachbuilding slowed down after WWII.

The car behind the Clipper and blocking the view is a Simca (or same car model built by Ford France).




Any ideas? I asked for more pictures from my brother but I don't know if he has time to visit there again.

Isn't that interesting! Don't recall ever seeing another or any photos of styling experimentals along the line of a wagon.

The emblem on the rear car looks familiar. Kind of resembles the Chaika front emblem with it's outstretched "V" and the tail lights also somewhat resemble the Russian version.

EDIT. The whole half looks Clipper. Maybe a Clipper cut and joined to something. Too bad we don't have a good side view to see the joining but the workmanship and fit sure does look good. Being a 55 probably has conventional suspension.

There were two other pictures too. They don't give much more info about the interesting wagon parts.

Don't show this to Ross or next thing you know he will go out and build one.

(o{}o)

ROSS! you HAVE to build one of these! this is so cool!

Ross, if you build one don't forget the roll in roof that Studebaker used in 64.

Ross doesn't need encouragement, just a donor.

That's interesting. I wish we had a picture of the back end of the car. The front door looks like clipper, but the back door, I can't tell. I wonder what the wheelbase is.

I don't think the rear pic is of the Clipper. Look closely, there is a car directly behind it when you look at the side view. You can just barely see the rear of the Clipper around the left side of the car with the pointed tail lights (NOT a station wagon) and it has rectangular side-by-side tail lights.

With the side view obstructed by the fence, it's hard to tell what's going on with the rear door, fender and glass, but there appear to be late-50's Mercury style scoops a la Turnpike Cruiser on the rear quarters. My guess is the entire car from the front door back is sheet metal from a Ford product. The roof appears to be sectioned in very nicely, though. It looks factory.

It'd be really nice to know more about the car. It does show that the '55 '56 Clippers could have made a handsome station wagon.

(I've got a Matchbox model of the Studebaker sliding roof wagon BTW, so I know what you're referring to packards1. The roof is even functional! Never seen the real thing though.)