Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Does anyone know what the original colour of my steering wheel would have been - my car is a 1948 Export Six Touring Sedan and is currently painted the bodywork colour which I am sure is nowhere near correct ? On the other hand I have seen cream,red, black, blue and tan coloured steering wheels some of which have had the "knobbly" bit chromed (was this standard or done later ?) and others the colours I've mentioned.

My car is in full restoration over here in the U.K and I want it to look right.

What is the correct colour for the dashboard ? - many are "mock" timber - what we call over here "graining" - others are the car colour or anything between black and cream.

Lastly the window surrounds - many are grained - lots are chromed - some are painted the body colour others are painted another colour - which if any are correct ?

Bet someone knows

Best regards meaarch

Wood grain is correct for sedan dash boards and window surrounds. Convertible dashes, on the other hand, should be body color, while their window surrounds/sills are chrome.

I'm not sure how the export models may have differed from the domestic ones, but the 6 cylinder models probably had about the same trim as the Packard Eight Series. There is some good information on standard equipment for the various models in the 1948 salesman's fact book.

1948 Fact book

Hi and Thanks to 49packard & BDeB

Any ideas on the steering wheel colours ?

meaarch (Michael)

Interesting question about wheel color. Would also be interested in what the 22nd series experts say.

According to parts manual there was only one standard wheel for 22nd series and an optional accessory deluxe wheel listed as plastic available thru 52. Various colors didn't list until 51. The fact book does says a two tone wheel for the deluxe but not what they were-unless chrome is a tone.

Looking at the pictures in gallery & sales brochures and fact book, with one exception of a maroon wheel someone has on a convertible, it appears just about all of them show what appears to be the same wheel--a light colored one.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=2141. Is that the standard or deluxe accessory plastic wheel?

The only other steering wheel picture I readily found was in the steering section of service manual and is black--maybe commercial?

Both 48-50s that I've owned were ivory, as have been all the unmolested originals I've seen, to the best of my memory.

The ivory plastic steering wheels were standard on the Custom 8's only, optional on other models which had a dark brown hard rubber wheel as standard equipment. Deluxe and Super 8's were 2 toned by painting the ribbed area on top of the spokes a lighter color.

Ivory was also on the Super 8 like the custom. Eights had a brown/black color. The Supers and Customs had chrome "grips" on the top of the spokes. The sixes and Eights had a instrument surround that was brown and not Chrome.

I hope this information helps in your restoration.