Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

I'm in the market for a 1955 or 1956 Caribbean convertible. The '56 has a number of upgrades over the '55 but I'm wondering if I should hold out for a '56 or is the difference not worth the hand wringing and simply find the best '55 or '56 Caribbean I can afford. Your opinions are valued! Thanks!

A 55 is gonna be less expensive. Really not a whole not of difference between the two so just buy what you would like to have IMHO.

Anything of concern in particular?

Decide what you like best.'55 front fenders , trunk, grill, 352 engine, gear-start Ultramatic and a little V medallion on tail lights. Of course higher production means less cost. Positive ground.
'56 front fenders, trunk, grill, 374 engine, twin-Ultramatic, maybe Twin-traction diff, reflectors on tail lights, LOW production, 12V neg ground.

Alas, I'm a poor, retired man and cannot afford either, but I would pick the '56...The little styling nuances made the car "pop"...the '56s were better cars from the factory, in my opinion. Go for it ! PB

The 1956s resolved many of the teething problems of the hurriedly introduced 1955s and overall is a better vehicle. However that wouldn't keep me from buying a 1955 Carib if the circumstances were right.

owen is right,those updates mean alot, its just what u prefer, take ur time do ur homework, price been coming down on both 55 and 6
decent 56 on ebay now with a best offer on it,
leftcoastclassics has it 39.900 or obo

Quote:

Some people have a strong preference for the 1956 because of the iconic seats and the pushbutton Twin Ultramatic, not to mention the fact that it represents the last Detroit-built Packard convertible and their flagship product.

However, HumanPotatoHybrid pretty much hits the nail on the head. The 1955s have really comfortable and attractive front seats, so it's no slouch in that department. There were more 1955 Caribbeans as well as more 1955 Senior Packards built than 1956s, so used and new parts availability may be marginally better for some things. The higher build quantity usually means the 1955s can be had for a little lower price than a comparable 1956. You're really never going to find yourself missing those 35 extra horses that the 1956 claims. Also, keep in mind that these cars are almost 70 years old, so many of the worst shortcomings they may have been born with have mostly been sorted out by now.

Unless you absolutely, positively, have to have a 1956 because of the styling updates, the engineering enhancements, or the additional features like the pushbuttons or the reversible cushions, there really is no reason not to actively shop the 1955 Caribbeans as well. Both years feature some of designer Dick Teague's best work, and either year will deliver an incomparable top-down motoring experience, as well as bring you great pride of ownership.

G'day Bob_V,
to PackardInfo.

Whether you purchase a '55 or '56 Caribbean Convertible, I invite you to include it in PackardInfo's Packard Vehicle Registry.

BTW - Have you checked the For Sale Forum on PackardInfo? Recently there was this '55 Caribbean listed for sale.

Gentlemen, thank you all for your time and wise counsel! I will continue my hunt for a 1955 or 1956 Caribbean convertible and appreciate your pointers to Caribs for sale. I learned some new points from your comments. Your comments also served to reinforce my preference for the '56 but I'll see what comes up in the merry-go-round of life. My wife and I are both car crazy, no adult supervision in our house. We currently have a 1964 Studebaker Avanti so adding a Packard would provide harmony via a Studebaker-Packard partnership in the garage. :). Hope to see you all down the road! Bob V

Other than all the updates over 1955, the redesigned grille and fenders give it a lower, wider look too. Also for 1955 the rear deck lid (trunk) was a carryover from 1951 while 1956 finally got a new one that better matched the rest of the car’s style.

Maybe the most important difference between the years was the notorious Push Button transmission was standard in 56. Though there are some out there with column selectors either from the factory, or as a conversion (there are even a couple manual transmission cars out there), the Push Button units are on nearly every car and seem to give people a fair amount of grief. They can be repaired and made reliable but they are gonna be the most finicky part of the car until that happens. As opposed to most of the rest of the mechanicals and electricals that "should just work" on a nice car.