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I saw the tiny exposure so thought they might be exposed. I think something fairly simple and let the grill & bumper do the work. Maybe just a bit more elaborate chrome surround with possibly a backing similar to the hoods the 56 used with a black/chrome background. The proposed 57 Packard based on the Predictor Dwight posted a couple of days ago were decent but maybe except not the white or body color background. I think the grill stuck out a bit far on that one although I believe it was supposed to be on an energy absorber but still like that you kept it more flush. The 58 merc had decent lights but the huge bumper/grill kind of detracted from them. Didn't care much for their two tone though.

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I think this is your best one yet. It just works.

(o{}o)

Appreciate the comments.

HH56 - agree fully with your comments about the protruding grill, that's why I kept it more flush. The Schmidt team's design resulted in a bird's beak look, although I am always hesitant to judge without seeing in the flesh. Those guys were around the design 24/7 so they either felt it was OK or they lost their perspective in the fog of design.

I understand what you are getting at with the lights. Take a look at these work-ups. The lights are so close there is not much leeway to tinker.

First is the Turnpike Cruiser. I made life easy by copying the right side of the car to the left but it's fairly representational nonetheless.

Second is a conventional late-50s headlight layout with a Packard-shaped grill opening. I think this sort of baseline starting point should have been kept in mind by the design team. Not the my work-up is any good but the point is that Packard did best when they stuck with the norms of the day and executed flawlessly. Take the 30s tall grill with flanking headlights. Almost everyone took this approach. Packard did it best.

Third is the vertical grill motif as applied to the Turnpike Cruiser side images that I had created. Air cooling inlets were essential but I wanted to get away from the wrap around foil on the 57/58 proposal, which in the front appears to have served as vents. Instead I chose a mesh from a 1930 Packard grill shield, which always looked classy and distinctive. Thought it might have conjured up images of yore.

Forth is same as third but with hidden lights. Work-ups like this really help understand design challenges. In this case it is pretty clear that the headlight windows would have needed to be fairly large.

More thoughts? Any good vibes up front?

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Note that the vertical grill theme left no symmetrical location for the license plate, a minor negative.

Variation with ox yoke cooling inlets and driving lights. Vertical grill theme has a large design bandwidth.

Was wondering how to terminate the body side appliques at the front. Perhaps by merging them into the chrome surrounding the headlight hoods?

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If I had to choose, last one is not terrible. Think the grill is still a little busy but like the overall theme better than the horizontal pieces or the Chrysler lookalike. Still not convinced Packard was on the right track with the snout but as you said, need to see it up close and personal. EGad, Edsel had so many descriptive phrases for it's grill, hate to think what Packard would have had suffered with theirs.

Am with you, none of these are really working. The bird's beak was unique but a risk especially with those supersized winglike headlight hoods that Studio was planning. Overall not an Edsel horse collar but maybe a giant bird of prey. Or... it may have worked fabulously once it reached production, who knows.

Here's a retry with Predictor grill pasted in. The meshed air inlets would need to have been inset quite a bit to downplay them. Maybe gold anodized too.

Also uploaded an update of the Chrysler theme, this time with the '30 radiator guard, Predictor motif shrunken to fit, and headlights moved inboard a bit and flipped horizontally. I like this look OK but maybe not for the boxy Turnpike Cruiser body. Might have worked better on the more rounded New Yorker-based idea that I posted recently. The '56 Patrician grill mesh might work better.

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Ah ha, '56 grill seems to improve the look. I like this for the NY'r-based Packard.

Predictor front looks quite dramatic from certain angles. Maybe it's the ticket for the Turnpike Cruiser body.

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Mahoning63,

Good to see some new things from you. I still have the quad-headlight, slim-grille and bumper front end on the '55 Clipper you did as one of my screen-saver pics. Whenever it comes up, I'm startled by how well it works.

When I saw the side view drawing of your Turnpike Cruiser cum Packard I was struck by how the headlight positiong reminded me of the Lincoln Mark II. I was kind of expecting to see the classy single headlight treatment of that model on one of your renditions of the front views. I think it would be worth a try. Also, if your recall the slim, elongated grill on the '55 Clipper photoshop you did, I think it would carry through to make the front much wider and lower looking.

I always did kind of like the Turnpike Cruiser from the side. A little over the top, but the rear fender treatment had a cool, aggressive look that went well with the name.

Single headlights would have set the Packard apart somewhat. Another option would be to do Mercedes-style upright semi-rectangular lights like they had in their big cars of the '60s.

Here's the '55 front with quad headlights. How 'bout that grill?

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P.S.

The last photo rendition of the quad headlight front is verrry Rolls-Royce looking... and very dignified for an American car. It could have caught on quite well with traditional Packard buyers of the previous two decades. Would have not looked out of place on a stretch limousine, or as a "professional" car such as a hearse, which business Packard had relinquished entirely to Cadillac and Lincoln.