Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Agreed, I think the Exec rules.

And they were evidently appeaingl to buyers at the time. Although not many were built, Packard could sell them as fast as they could get them off the line. The other possibility is that they were converting leftover senior rear fenders, which had holes in that upper location for the Packard script. Reason I lean toward this answer is because it really couldn't be a "line error" because the stampings already had the holes punched prior to assembly--correct?

Or, you could check for signs of a collision repair, which may have ended up with the script getting moved inadvertently... or on purpose. Like mischievous auto body workers used to "rename" cars by scrambling the individual letters, like turning a FORD into a DORF. This actually happened to a '68 Mustang a friend of mine had. Of course, the bodyshop knew he would have fun with it.

In any case, that's a fine looking car.

Flowers... I get it--it's a Honeybee color scheme, so naturally, it needs some flowers to go with it. I sense female involvement here.

I suppose anything is possible but doubt the using of senior fenders. Seems like there would be so many more differences they would have to cover up or modify to use just the holes that it would be to drill the new ones.

In the early 50's when supply of certain 24-54 front fenders ran out, they supplied a blank fender with no holes and templates or painted spots with the correct trim locations of various models for bodyshop to drill. Am thinking that would be more likely in this case -- just a blank Clipper fender and a template. Maybe another conscious change to move the series "upward".

Keep in mind the Clippers had NO script plates on the rear fenders. With the Exec using a mixture of Junior and Senior elements, I'm thinking that someone - in the course of collision repair or restoration - did not have access to an original likeness of an Excutive (they're fairly uncommon), but only had other Senior cars - with the same front clip and deck lid treatment - as a reference.

That's just my best guess, but due to the difference in wheelbase and width of the taillights, it wouldn't make sense to even try to install senior rear fenders. Look at what it took to blend the cathedral taillights into the Panther rear fenders.

Agree with the Clipper. Dealers also liked the Exec as it was easier to sell a ?cheap" Packard than an expensive Clipper. And it added around 500$ on the base price... I don't know if that was already discussed here but by putting a Packard script on the Clipper trunk lid during the 56th series model run they did something in the same direction. This part even was retrofitted on already delivered cars at no expense.

From the view of forward planning both probably were mistakes as they further diluted the Packard name instead of re-establishing it in the luxury class as Nance intended. But that was the least problem he faced during 1956.

BTW: The 56th series senior gold grille screen also was a running change early in the model year. There were seniors delivered with a chromed screen.

...ah yes, there IS female involvement in that side decoration on my car. It was already on the car when I bought it and now, I'm not allowed to remove it...

BTW: The 56th series senior gold grille screen also was a running change early in the model year. There were seniors delivered with a chromed screen.

56 Caribbean convertibles at least thru car #29 had the chrome fascia screen, #45 and up had gold anodized fascia. Can't pin it down any better than that at this point in time as it's difficult to get incontrovertible data once a car has been restored, even worse if it has changed hands once or twice.

Yes, the Exec offered an instant increase in profit per unit with very little tooling for new, unique parts (e.g. - the upper front fender spear had to be longer for the extended headlamp brow of the Senior fender).

It is only when you inspect an Exec up close that you notice subtle differences from the full Seniors - like dash knobs, idiot lights rather than gauges, painted rather than plated interior trims pieces. It didn't diminish my appreciation of the Executive model, but just shows that it lived up to its billing as an entry-leve Packard.

The phrase "early in the model year" is a relative thing. The production run for new series didn't start in the summer like it did for other makes - at least in later years.

Out of all the 56th Series cars in my posession, including one Executive, two Patricians, one Four Hundred, and the Caribbean Hardtop, only one car, a Patrician, had the chrome grille screen; the rest were gold. All appear to be as original, but the chrome screen had been sprayed, at some point, with silver paint.

FWIW, when I took the clock out of that one car and sent it off for repair, I noticed it had a Dec. 1955 date stamp on the back housing.

Quote:

Both of our 55 Clippers also had the Packard script on the trunk. I doubt it was a dealer retrofit, especially on the one that was bought new at auction, and never went to a dealer. These cars still had the plastic covers on the seats from the factory.

I kind of doubted that my speculation of replacement with a senior fender would have been plausible, even at the factory. As also noted in that post, a likely reason for the incorrect placement of the Executive script would be body work.

An inspection might reveal if the fender has been repaired or replaced.

It would be nice to know some more of the history of this car... and it's even on topic!

It surely is true that the Executive is far more a Clipper in Packard trim than a downsized Packard. Seat and door panel patterns are Clipper Custom, too. Executive buyers even found a Clipper owners manual in their glove box - together with a small extra leaflet referring to the Executive.

I'm not sure but there seems to be a further outside difference between Clipper and Executive in the upper rear window frame.

Until now, I found no traces of an accident that, of course, would make the best explanation for the strange position oft he scripts. I'll have to do a closer examination these days.

michaelk said there was no evidence the car had any rework, so if that's the case, must have been very well done when relocating script for him not to notice any filled holes lower down--maybe a complete back end transfer from a Clipper.

In 56 didn't Nance decide the Clipper was to stand on its own, registered as a separate make etc etc. It was only when the dealers started screaming a few months in that the Packard script was made available again and sent out for addition.