Packard Forum Index » General

Friends

George Christopher is driving the convertible and Earle C Anthony is beside him. High Ferry is directly behind Christopher. I don't know who the others are, but it should be easy to figure out.

As a former owner of a 23rd series I am enjoying these pictures a lot

HAPPY NEW YEAR


John Harley

That is a great picture!

"Kodachrome, they give us those nice bright colors"

Red and white interior, blue top that would be a striking car.

John (JHH), thanks for identifying the passengers.

Quote:

The cars, exihibited in the Stadtler Hilton, seem to be usually colored.



[images source - LIFE] Click to enlarge!

Attach file:

---

  (120.85 KB)


  (105.80 KB)


  (151.06 KB)

In the picture where the guy is putting stuff in his glove box (#62?) It shows a sticker on the windshield: St Louis 18
I noticed every car has a sticker like that, so every car was pre destined before the dealers showed up.

Picture 64 looks like markings on the firewall just under the mans hands.

Picture 81 looks like an older model engine display model K, maybe?

Picture 82 has a marine engine in the left bottom, and a traffic light in the top right.

On one of the walls looks like maybe the historical progress made by Packard?

Just think 10 years from this and it's all gone!

#62

BDC, good eye! It's additional a necessary statement of place in this big parking lot. 2,000 Packards, all of them golden, ..., without signpost one would need a posse of searchers.


#14



[images source - LIFE] Click to enlarge!

Quote:

BigKev stored a couple of related images in the Photo Archive. Some of them touch the different wall murals.



"...photograph of two 1949 Packard sedans on display for 1949 dealers show for Packard Golden Anniversary, foreground: seven-eighths right side view, 4-door sedan, dual white side wall tires; background three-quarter front view, 2-door sedan, dual white sidewall tires, photograph display in right background."



"...photograph of several 1949 Packards on display for Golden Anniversary, convertible on center display stage, top down, in right background wall reads '50 years of fine car building, ask the man who owns one.' Inscribed on photo back; 1949 dealers show, Packard Golden Anniversary, Hotel Statler Detroit, Mich."


[source - image #1 & image #2 Detroit Public Library, National Automotive History Collection and used with permission.] Click to enlarge!

Bingo!



"...photograph of a mural showing the evolution of Packard cars from 1899 to 1949, the wall reads '50 years of fine car building, ask the man who owns one,' shows one model from every year. Inscribed on photo back; 1949 dealers show, Packard Golden Anniversary, Hotel Statler, Detroit, Mich."

Thanks to John (423reed) even a large, slightly refined format is available.



sources
image #1 - Detroit Public Library, National Automotive History Collection and used with permission.
image #2 - Photo Archive
Click to enlarge!

Attach file:

---

  (127.46 KB)

Smoother, more responsive, thriftier, more durable and it stays in tune ... with new Golden Anniversary advancements.



source: Pittsburg Post-Gazette June 23, 1949
Click to enlarge!

Attach file:

---

  (194.83 KB)

I am looking at early posts in this thread. Something apparently not understood here is that the one photo showing a lot full of cars simply shows the "driveaway" lot at the intersection of East Grand Blvd. and Mt. Elliot next to the plant. This was the official name of the lot, but not the sole function of the lot.

When Packard referred to "driveaway"... that was merely the name that was actually give to that small branch of the company. It did not mean that every single car in this lot was actually, individually driven away! It was just a title of the lot and the small division of the company (or depending on time frame-name of the contractor).

There was a yellow brick building which was the very last building erected in association with PMCC. This building faced Mt. Elliot and was on the corner of a side-street entrance to the lot. The illuminated sign on the building overhung the sldewalk and was framed in brushed stainless steel. The sign varied over the years in what it said, but at one point it was lettered, "Nu-Car Driveaway."

Again, this did not mean that people showed up there and drove their cars away from this point. Those who took factory delivery went to a special showroom that faced Grand Blvd with windows. They were welcomed there and actually picked up their car on the Packard company street that ran through the plant. The car would exit out onto East Grand Blvd.

However, the cars in the big lot indeed left mostly by truck and by train. This is a fact. The truck drivers would load up and check out at the building I mentioned. In this building was the small staff that managed the train loading and the truck loading and bills of lading, etc.

This building (at last check) still exists today, but the windows have all been bricked in. As I said, it was the last building erected in association with the Packard Plant on East Grand Blvd. It was also one of the very last buildings there that was associated with PMCC to close (around 1960-61).

Today, part of the old lot still exists. Some of the land was first taken over by a supermarket and now is some kind of food cooperative. No idea what the yellow brick building is used for, but it has some kind of function to this day.

Otherwise, yes, indeed there were various actual drive-aways where customers and dealers actually drove off in a new car. Some were at the Packard Plant... others at the Proving Grounds and elsewhere. Yes these took place, but this was not the only meaning or function attached to that terminology when PMCC used it.