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Hi Guscha

Thanks for posting these LIFE photos, some I've never seen before. Certainly was quite an event. I'll take the Super Deluxe Eight or Custom Eight leading the line!

Steve

Steve, anytime.
This May 4, 1949 has obviously been a golden day in many respects. Packard weather!
The official celebration followed in November. The anniversary milestone has been a suitable opportunity for a rearrangement.


sources
pics - LIFE
snippet - Miami Daily News; November 3, 1949
Click to enlarge!

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Hi Guscha

Thanks, these are great photos of a significant event in Packard history. You're doing us a great service posting them here as well as Packard-related news clippings.

Notice in photo 13 the car leading the 1899 Model A and line-up appears to have a movie-camera on a tripod. Wonder if there is a MovieTone News news-reel feature of the drive-away.

Steve

Hello Guscha:

A bunch of great photos from the driveaway at the Packard Proving Grounds. BTW the two indoor photos from your first set were taken in the Statler Hilton hotel in downtown Detroit.

Also, photo 12 with the photographer in front of the car is reversed. Needs to be flipped. The editor must have thought the steering wheel needs to be on the left. But if you look closely, the "non-skid" on the tire is reversed as well as the "Packard" script on the side of the body - just under the driver.

Good times!

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Photo 3 & 4?

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Done. Thank you.

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Yes, those two.

Number 2 needed to be flipped as well. Done.
Roger (RogerDetroit), before correcting the photos in the photo archive and adding new photos, I would like to clarify their locations.
It looks to me as if we have to set four or five photo series apart from each other.

1) the hotel
2) a "bar" (as you will see)
3) the Packard Proving Grounds
4) a kind of concert hall
5) ?

There are around 50 photos, which are now presorted. I will post them step by step. Be so kind to assist me, if you know locations or any other things of interest like the movie-camera, that Steve mentioned.
Let's start with the identified Statler Hilton hotel in downtown Detroit. Don't miss the staged engine (pic # 16).


[picture source:LIFE] Click to enlarge!

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Hi Guscha

Great pictures, a real window into that event! Best of all, note the rarest of the rare, its either one of the only two Body Type 2370 seven passenger Limousine Deluxe or only two Body Type 2371 seven passenger Sedan Deluxe built. (Thank You, Mr. Neal!)

Steve

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Steve, I'm no expert but thought it would need a rear eggcrate grille for being a Deluxe. Is that wrong?

Roger, the description of this image confirms the Statler hotel. Here are the next photos, taken there.


[picture source:LIFE] Click to enlarge!

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Am enjoying these photos very much, both for the cars and the people. Notice that the limo has a rear fender mount antenna--have never encountered that before. Thank you so much for posting these!

In #23 I am guessing that is a marine reversing gear in the foreground??