Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

5677A. The "A" means automatic transmission.

Are you certain of that? I'm not so sure, I would have thought it might have the same meaning as the A, or B, or C etc. that was used on all the other models, like my 5699 which is a "A" car though it's not usually associated with the VN, or is it on the VN plate, but it's on the build-slip. But the fact that it's part of the VN in the parts book suggests a different meaning.

I've just jotted an email off to a couple of 55/56 historians to see what they have to say, and will advise.

It's a question that's been asked quite often by Exec owners, but I've yet to find an irrefutable explanation for the "A" in the Exec serial/model number.

My dad had ordered a Clipper Custom in the Spring of '56, but it came through as an Exec; titled in May, I thought perhaps that "A" stood for April - thinking that was the month that the model was introduced. However, I later learned that those cars began rolling off the line even earlier than that.

I doubt it stands for "Automatic".

Long ago, I was told that the "A" meaned that the car was re-ordered after being cancelled by another party. As I never found any kind to proof this answer, this explanation is as good as any else...

Taking the case of BH's Clipper that became an Executive: Maybe the "A" indicated a transferred Clipper order?

Long ago, I was told that the "A" meaned (ed- meant) that the car was re-ordered after being cancelled by another party. As I never found any kind to proof...

Yes, that system is reasonably well known and documented, but I believe you've heard a bit of it wrong, an "A" car was delivered as originally ordered, the "B" and "C" and "D" suffixes indicated varying degrees of change, reorder, etc. Among other places this system is described briefly in The Packard Cormorant issue which has the 56 Caribbean rosters. And you generally only find this letter associated with the production order or build slip.

At first I thought that might be the reason for the "A" in the Executive series, but now I'm convinced it's not as the "A" used in the Executive is a fixed and permanent part of the body-type number, and not a variable as it was in the case of the production orders.

I think the reason for the Executive "A" still eludes us.

That makes sense, but why then is the "A" stamped in the VIN plate of my car: 5677A-1990?

Every Executive that I've ever had the chance to inspect or discuss with the owner has the "A" suffix, following the body number, in the serial number. I concur that this "A" is not a variable and not related to the A-B-C progression of rewritten vehicle orders.

The mystery continues...

Maybe there was a B version to come with the rest of the Packard interior and script. Always struck me odd that they wanted it to be a Packard but was so stingy on identification & left so much Clipper in.

That makes sense, but why then is the "A" stamped in the VIN plate of my car

Because, as we've already said, the "A" was for unknown reasons an intergral part of the body type description. In other words there was no such thing as a 5672 or 5677 body type, just a 5672A or 5677A.

The best anyone I've spoken to as yet (several inquiries are still out to the "experts") has come up with was that the "A" was to show a mid-year introduction, or a partial year series. Kind of like the 1963-1/2 Mustang.

Both of my executives are 5672A and it is stamped on the VN plate on the drivers door pillar.

My claim that the "A" stands for automatic transmission is apparently erroneous.
BRIAN. Seems to me that this "A" issue was discussed at the AACA or Classicar website many years ago and the concensus was "A" = automatic trans???????? Apparently i misunderstood.


BUT, i'm still a bit confused. Are all of the following statements correct?????

1. All Executives were of the form 5672A or 5677A.
2. Some 56 Packards and/or Clippers had NO alpha-character after the 4 digit model designation.
3. There were 56 Packard and/or clippers that used a "B" or "C" or "D" instead of an "A".

Here's perhaps another possible twist. Let us consider only 1956 Packards and Clippers for a moment.

REGARDLESS of how the cars actually left the line, OFFICIALY what models came standard with a stick shift thus making T'Ultra an option for those models???