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I recently picked up a 1940 Packard 110 convertible. My question is should the dashboard be painted body color or wood grained. Also wondering the same for the garnish Mouldings, presently chrome plated

Welcome to the forum! We would appreciate a picture of your car if you have one.

All three of my 1940 110s had the wood-grained dash and window trim except for one in which all the rear compartment trim was painted to match the body color and there was no sign of wood-grain under the paint.

There is a 40 Salesman's Fact and Data Book and an Owners Manual you can download from the literature archive that might answer some of your questions.

I cannot speak for 40s but in other years Packard sometimes made chrome pieces available as a paid option on lower end models and were part of a regular trim upgrade package on more upscale models. Convertibles might have had them as standard because they were often a differentiating feature on upper end models or in a convertibles case, maybe more weather resistant than painted or woodgrained moldings..

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/1940_DataBook.pdf

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/1940_110_120_OwnersManual.pdf

The possibility chrome for the window trim is a good point but if available for 1940, it was only on the convertibles which I never owned. I do not believe that it was ever an option for closed junior cars but at least for some years (probably later ones than 1940) there were several wood grain types and colors as an option.

Garnish moldings on convertibles are chrome.

The dash can be two colors of fake mahogany, or another thing they called mottled aspen which, I think, was a bluish grey thing. Weird, but I remember a 120 convertible that had it along with a weird blue/grey leather. Surviving good originals are few and far between and restored cars are not very reliable.

Here are a couple of shots of an original with mahogany in good surviving condition.

And obviously, on your car the windshield and door moldings are chrome, and the seats are leather.

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G'day kenp,
to PackardInfo.

I invite you to include your '40 110 Convertible in the Packard Vehicle Registry.

The late James Hollingsworth wrote an exceptionally good book on the 1940 Packards. It may be available on Amazon or Abe Books. Well worth having a copy if you own a 1940 Packard.

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To me and as far a 1940 is concerned, it was a very good year for style on most makes and models of cars! Something about them that year that I find appealing.