Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Wanted to share latest idea car working from '51 parts. Could imagine it completed summer of that year by Henney, Derham or Dietrich ...had the order come in.

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Cool! Has this been built or only a digital creation?

Only digital. Wish it did exist!

Too bad as it's gorgeous! I wish I had those digital skills as I have a Packard project to do that would be great to see in the flesh, so to speak, from several angles.

Hi

Paul has demonstrated how much the Contour would have benefitted from hardtop styling being applied to the four door sedan as well. Popularity of and interest in hardtops was a real market trend in those years. While the sedan with full-door construction remained dominant for lower-priced makes and series, the hardtop steadily gained sales percentages, especially once the four door hardtop were introduced. By the end of the decade, hardtop sales were the majority for upmarket makes like Packard. The Contours would have been a good place for that to start.

Steve

Absolutely Steve, interest in post-war hardtops seemed to start the day Coupe de Ville, Riviera and Holiday appeared in mid-49. To Packard's credit it reacted quickly, getting Mayfair out as a late '51. That GM's backlight shape was copied on 250/300/400 was perhaps not a good sign but at least Packard did a nice job with execution. One styling element I missed was the old industry practice of lowering the beltline on sporty models such as roadsters and phaetons. The Creative Industries prototype that appeared in this forum a few years ago woke me up to how high Contour's chromed beltline was.

PackardDon - what kind of project are you kicking around? Am always fascinated by one-offs.

2/22 EDIT: moved door handles from top of beltline to lower, near vertical surface like Creative Industries prototype, for usability.

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Thank you for asking and I sent a PM.

Same changes to '54. Since backlight was one piece that year could have been cut wider like 200.

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I really like it! Give it a divider window and catalog it as a modern-day Berline.

Absolutely Dave! After a gazillion work-ups might be getting very close to my dream post-war Packard.

Paul