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

Hi

Regarding how late Packard assembly ('55-'56) by D'Iteren Freres in Belgium may have come about. They had a Studebaker assembly and distribution in place after WWII onto the end. With the Packard and Studebaker merger, they may have taken up the same for Packard.

When I can find my copy of Turning Wheel detailing their operations, I will post whatever information it contains.

Steve

D'Iteren Freres has quite a fascinating history, and is still very much in the automotive business in Europe, or at least they were the last time I Googled them. In the Classic era they were best known for their custom coachwork, done on many chassis but especially on the Belgian Minerva. Post war they also operated a VW assembly unit, if I recall correctly.

I have a friend here in NJ who owns a massive, original 8-cylinder sleeve valve Minerva by fabric coachwork by D'Iteren Freres, perhaps under license from Weymann who was the most prolific maker of fabric bodies.

Update 12/19: If you're interested, go tohenokiens.com/index_dieteren_gb.php

Attach file:

---

  (57.47 KB)


  (59.47 KB)

'There were some' Canadian Built' 1932 Chrysler Imperial 8 model CH automobiles. They ranged from 9890001 though 9890041.

I have looked at several of these, several still survive, and I can see no unique features. They all had Budd bodies.

It is not likely that a separate assembly line was built for forty cars. More likely than not, they were Built in Detroit, moved across the border under the cover of night, and new serial plates affixed.'



More likely they were imported in pieces and assembled in Canada, using Canadian sourced parts and materials wherever possible.

By bringing in the body in white, bare frame, engine and running gear then finishing the car with Canadian labor and Canadian materials they could easily cut the import duty by half or more, a savings of hundreds of dollars on such an expensive car. I believe that model was more or less hand made anyway. At least more hand work went into it than a mass produced Plymouth or Dodge.

Quote:

Al,

These shows need to be fun and I beieve you need to spread the trophies around if possible. So the BofS car should not win it's class. Now I'm not suggesting that you dilute the nmber of trophies so that winning a trophy means little. I experienced an embarassing momment this year when I won 4 trophies at a 600+ car show. One should had been enough for my car as there are plenty of deserving cars in that size of a show. If I had know what was going to happen I would had advise them to spread the awards out. I did at one show advise the show organizers not to give me the three awards they were planning to give me. I told them I didn't need them and to spread them around. So they ended given another car three trophies.

Canadian built Packards had some slight differences in 1937
anyway, the headlight rings being one that I know of on the junior cars. The Canadian cars had a real thin ring instead of the 1 in. [approximation] wide one.

My question is were the convertibles all built in Detriot?
My 1937 convertible coupe has the wide headlight rings, but was sold new in Montreal and was original paint when I restored it.
Also are the headlight lenses the same?

Thanks Vern

Is your car missing the VN plate? (See post #3 of this thread for a picture). If it says "Made in Canada" you have your answer. If the VN plate is missing, the only possible way to tell that I'm aware of is by the country of origin of the tires (if still original, unlikely) or possibly the markings on the safety glass.

Not a definitive answer but the only Canadian-built juniors I've seen are coupes and sedans.

In addition to the thin trim rings the headlight lenses were different on the Canadian built cars.
Windshields were laminated safety glass but all other windows were tempered glass.