Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Hello falks,
This is Mario, italian owner of a 1929 Packard 640 Sedan, 
Chassis n. 177143 
Engine n. 175751B
I have a few queries on the paintwork and really hope someone of you could assist me in clarifying these doubts. 
As you can see from the attached photo, the car has been painted with 3 different tones; Lanvin Brown, Burmah Rose the Window reveals, wire wheels and striping are tinted pastel. 
On a preliminary check to verify these tones, it appeared in the factory archive that they do not belong to the Packard 1929 model.
What I'd like to ask is if these colour tones are actually considered part of the 1929 model, instead.
Furthermore, it was noticed that on many models there are two mini red stripes along the side of the bodywork. Am I requested to include these on the 1929 model?
I really thank you in advance for your time and any possible assistance you can provide on the above.

Looking forward to receiving your prompt and kind reply,
Kind regards.

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Hi. It appears that no one has responded to your inquiry, so I will take a stab at it. The Packard Automobile Classics website (www.packardclub.org) has a reference section which, among other things, has the correct factory paint codes going back to 1929. Unfortunately, they only have color chips going back to 1935. I have attached a copy of the 1929 paint chart from their website as well as a photo of an authentically painted 1929 Packard 626 Sedan that I found on the internet.

Based on this information, it does not appear that your car is painted in a correct color scheme for 1929. The colors used do not appear to match any of the standard factory colors for that year. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon, particularly with older restorations. In the past it was common practice for restorers to paint antique cars in colors contemporary to the time the car was being restored as that what was readily available. Authenticity wasn't as big a concern as it is today. Then there was the widespread belief that you could custom order a Packard in any color you wished. While technically true, Packard would not have been able to use colors which simply did not exist at the time, for example, metallic paint prior to the early 1930's. Also, some people tried to paint their cars by copying color schemes from period advertisements. This is usually not a good idea as during the classic era, original artwork was used to portray the cars instead of photographs and the artwork was generally an artist's interpretation. The artwork accompanying the ads would often include features not actually available from the manufacturer, such as paint schemes.

It is also worth noting that the chassis parts were standardly painted black in those days. This included the fenders, chassis aprons, frame and running gear. My understanding is that the chassis parts could be painted to match the body at extra cost. So, it would be an option. Also, wheels should match the lower body color.

Hope this helps

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Oldcarretta, welcome to PackardInfo.com!

-> 1929 Packard Paint Chips, Jim Wayman (jimw) donated this content.