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Today I went to two back-to-back cruise-ins. The first was to benefit the Mid-America Youth Aviation Association. It was your typical row upon row of SBC's and post 1965 vehicles but this time there was a difference... I didn't have the only Packard there...sort of. There was another 1950 Packard, the same year as mine except it didn't have a Packard frame, a Packard engine, a Packard suspension or a Packard interior. The body was still recognizable as a Packard. I was snapping pictures of the car mainly to see my ultra-purist business partner's reaction when I showed them to him. While I was taking the pictures, the owner came up and started to tell me all about how he acquired the frame and engine and how he put it all together. He was quite knowledgeable and very interesting to talk to.

Once he found out that I was the owner of the other Packard there, he asked if I had known Bob Aller. I replied that I had met him a few times but didn't really know him. He said that Bob had seen his Packard and even though Bob was the kind of guy who would find non-Packard seat covers unacceptable (so he said) Bob still complimented him on his workmanship. That's a real diplomat. Take a look at this guy's Packard below and bear in mind that he's 80 years old!

Next, I went to the monthly Parkville Cruise Night where there were over 150 cars and I don't think there were more than a half-dozen unmodified cars over 20 years old. The reason I go to these things is because it gives people a chance to see an original 1950 Packard as it would have looked in 1950. They stop, they look, they ask questions and I answer them as best I can. It's remarkable how many people actually thank me for bringing it to the Cruise Night.

Oh yeah, did I mention that my hood ornament is without doubt the most photographed item at any cruise I go to? Of course, all bets are off if there is ever a Cadillac or Rolls with their lady mascots thrusting their chromium bosoms into the wind. I don't think my Giant Cormorant/Pelican would be very competitive in that circumstance.

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No, it's just my personal mind-set. Because of my age and when I started driving, anything later than 1965 doesn't interest me. I just see it as a used car. I realize that for someone younger a 60's muscle car, a 70's/80's land yacht or a 90's/00's jelly-bean-shaped transportation appliance probably commands more interest than I have.

It would be a boring world if we all perceived everything the same way.

JD, I remember that car back in 2004 at the KKOA meet in Salina, Ks, when I took my Patrician to it's first car show. Does it still have the maroon velour/corduroy interior that looks like you're practically laying down while driving? And I remember the owner too, he'll talk your ear off about his car, and loved my Patrician! Neat car, but that extreme of a modification isn't my cup-o-tea.

Yes... it does. And let's not forget the hand-tooled brass dashboard. Beautiful, fussy brass work that must have taken hours and hours to accomplish but might be better suited to a horse drawn carriage. The steering wheel was out of a Renault.

A very unique vehicle to say the least.

Oh yeah, I totally forgot about the brass dash!

Still, not my cup-o-tea. Did you happen to get any interior pics? I still think you have to crawl into this car instead of just sitting in it.

No I didn't. To be honest, between the owner's running narrative and the overall effect of the maroon velour interior on my senses, I totally forgot I had a camera in my hand.

I can completely agree with your assessment, I never got any pics of it either!