Packard Forum Index » Studebaker Built Packards (1957 - 58)

All 58 Packard Hawks for 58 and all Studebaker Hawks always had single headlamps not quad. Also here is pic of a Lark with a 374 Packard V8 with dual quads and air conditioning an power steering

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"I would love to order a Packard V8 t shirt, but they only come in xl, too small for me".

Robert

A simple solution would be to get the shirt, cut out the design panal and have it sewn on to a shirt of your choice.
Then give the remainder to your wife, girlfriend, or mother for a cleaning rag.

ALK

Quote:

Yes, Stude Hawks and a few other weirdball low-production cars never converted to quad headlights. Let's be more specific - does anyone have photos of any 1958 GM, Ford, Chrysler cars designed for quad headlights which were also delivered for sale in the US with two 7" round headlights?

thnx, jack vines

Jack, I don't have pictures but I asked the question of quite a few 50s car owners at a local show today in Franklin Lakes NJ, and some of them remembered that some states were very late in allowing quad headlights, and thus some early cars had single 7" headlamps in 1958.

I know you're skeptical, I'll try to get a picture or two at some point, one of them specifically said they had a 58 Plymouth that way that was purchased originally somewhere in the midwest.

I have to back up Dave's comments. Have seen photos of some in car mags over the years. I think what was done was to put a blanking plate over the 2nd light, presumably this was removed when the law changed.

Of course, when you want to locate a photo you can't LOL.

If one looks at the fender design on most 1958 cars, there isn't room to fit a 7" light. The shape of the fender is wider and lower to match the two smaller lamps.

thnx, jack vines

I found this out on a "History of Headlights" wiki:

In 1940, a consortium of state motor vehicle administrators standardised upon a system of two 7 in (178 mm) round sealed beam headlamps on all vehicles -- the only system allowed for 17 years. A system of four round lamps, rather than two -- one high/low and one high-beam 5+3⁄4 in (146 mm) sealed beam on each side -- was introduced in 1957 by Cadillac, Chrysler and Nash on some of their car models in states that permitted the new system, and other American marques followed suit when all states permitted quad lamps in 1958. These lamps had some photometric advantages, particularly on high beam, but the primary advantage was the styling novelty permitted by the use of two small rather than one large lamp per side of the vehicle.

Aside from the specialty cars you mentioned, the only others which might be considered mainstream I see are the 58 Rambler American and the 58 Studebaker Scotsman which had singles. Not sure how much volume either had.

For what its worth, here's a picture of 1958 Studebaker Scotsmen and a Champion and some Hawks and one Packard Hawk with two headlights.
Ken
Two Headlight Studebakers & a Packard Hawk

P.S. After the fact I noted the presence of a Packard Hawk in the photos. I edited the message as I mean no offense to Packard Hawk fans. As far as I am concerned, 58 Packards, including 58 Packard Hawks, are Packards.

They are indeed - the only Packard the corporation could offer then, One might imagine the eventual rebuilding of the South Bend plant to cater for the wide-bodied Packards, alas, funds weren't available and non- automotive businesses were more profitable.