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

I am working on getting my father's 37 115C Touring sedan back on the road. Looking at the production plate. It seems to be a very late production date and number, Build date is 10/05/1937, and the VIN number is 1082-37797. This is 1937 model but I would have thought 1938 models would have been in production by the first week of October?

The current practice of releasing new cars in the fall has its roots in this 1935 executive order that recommends the practice. The reason is simply that many auto workers were not employed the few weeks it took to retool the line. It was assumed that employing these workers over the holidays by shifting the schedule up accordingly would be beneficial to the economy.

Current regulations allow a, say 2025, car to be produced 1/2/24 to 12/31/25.

It is most important to note as well that from 1924 to 1953, Packard used "Series" designations instead of model years; one example is the 22nd series that was spread from 1948-49 production.

If what you assume is the build date 10/05/1937 is the date on the vehicle number or patent plate, that's the date of sale, not build.

G'day ADieli,
to PackardInfo.

I invite you to include your '37 115C Touring Sedan in PackardInfo's Packard Vehicle Registry.

The Vehicle Number (Patent) Plate was only stamped with the Vehicle Number by the Factory. It was up to the selling Dealer to stamp the plate with the Dealer's name and the date the vehicle was sold (aka delivered). This marked the start of the warranty period and could be used by other dealerships to determine if the car was still in the warranty period. The selling dealer often failed to stamp the plate or stamped them with an ink stamp that has long since worn off. So that information is now lost unless you have original paperwork.

As far as the build date, the factory records are long gone. But you can check the casting date on the passenger side of the engine block. It is down low, towards the back. That is the date the engine was cast at the foundry. After that, it still needed to be machined, assembled, and put in the car. So, at a bare minimum, your car was built at least a couple of weeks after that date, not before.

for including your '37 Six Touring Sedan in the Registry.

Looks like a strong candidate for a resurrection with a great family connection.