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Well, everyone should be back home from Hershey by now so I'll ask this question again in the General Discussion area and hope there is someone out there that knows about the trunks available for 1939 Packard Seniors. Thanks in advance!!! Gene

I'm in process of buying a 39 Super 8 and have an opportunity to get this trunk. I'm the first to admit that I am clueless about the old Packard accessories and trunks: that is why I love and rely on this Forum so much. I hope to find out if this particular trunk would be appropriate to the year and model (39 Super 8) I'll be restoring. The car does not have a luggage rack (support?) at this time so I'll have to get one later but I do find that I do like the looks. This is the information that has been provided to me:

"This Packard Trunk is different than the one on my 1930 Phaeton.
It measures 33 " side-to-side, 20-1/4 " front-to-back, 20-1/2 " tall.
The rear-most 6 inches of the top is a flip-up lid on a "piano-hinge" with latches on the rear (no keys, but unlocked).
When the lid opens, you can open a latch on each side-wall of the trunk, and the rear-upright panel flips 180 degrees downward, also on a piano hinge.
The outside of the flip-lid has an metal oval tag riveted toward the right top side with the Packard name in "Packard" script, and the wording "Packard Motor Company Detroit" with a blue-painted background.
Inside of the top flip-lid is a larger riveted metal oval tag. The upper part of the oval says"WEISMAN LUGGAGE MFG. CORP." The center part of the oval says " QUEEN QUALITY LUGGAGE" The bottom of the oval says " SYRACUSE, N.Y. U.S.A.

There are two brackets on each side of the trunk where it appears that they each would surround a rod to hold the trunk in place.
The covering , minimally torn on the right side, is in fair condition. The interior has a fabric covering which is coming loose from the top interior surface.
There is a "nickel-sized" hole in the lower right rear lid.

This appears to be a larger, rare sized Packard Trunk. It is probably worth in the range of $475.00 , and I would like to see it go to a good home. I'm open to reasonable offers."

If anyone is familiar with this brand of trunk I'd appreciate any information you can provide me with to help me in my decision. I want the car to be true to the year and to the type of accessory that a Packard dealer would have installed.

Thanks again to anyone who can help and to all who read this from a novice to the pre-war Packard era.

Gene

I'll check on the size for you, but I think it's a LOT easier to find a trunk than a trunk rack, which also needs different bumper brackets, and technically it uses a different bumper as well (although there's only a physical difference).

Unless you're getting a super-sweet deal on a trunk that's in exceptionally good condition, my opinion is to locate the trunk rack and all its mounting hardware first. Correct trunks are available and for sale all the time.

Can you post a photo, and tell us what you're paying?

I don't have a picture of it yet as this gentleman was on his way to Hershey when I last talked with him. And I have not tried to discuss price with him because I don't even know if it is a period correct trunk for the 39 Senior Packard. I don't want to put a trunk on there that is not a trunk that someone would have had installed by their Dealer when they bought the car. I'm trying hard to keep the car original.
He did say that it would benefit from restoration and that he could take digital pictures for me. But again, there is no need to go to that trouble if Packard never used Weisman trunks and someone in the past just attached a Packard emblem to this trunk. I'll go ahead and e-mail him and ask for a couple of pictures to post. Gene

The trunk you have found is not the correct size for the luggage rack that would be correct for this car. The "pad" for the correct trunk should measure 36 x 18.5".

Trunks are easy to find and are on eBay very often. Many are available at Hershey each year. I'd concentrate first on getting the luggage rack and bumper brackets (and bumper). They do not surface very often.

Keep in mind, the trunk is mainly a novelty. Once mounted on the car, you CANNOT open the regular trunk, unless you have the optional trunk mounting brackets that allow it to swing to the side, or to the back (which are like hen's teeth to find... of course, one could jerry-rig a set). Also, the trunk ads ZERO to the aesthetics of your vehicle, and in my opinion substantially reduces its good looks.

Thanks West, I'll still post the pictures when I get them and perhaps this trunk will be a good fit for someone else's Packard or even a different antique car of the day. Gene

OK, here are some pictures of this trunk. It looks to be in decent shape and the Packard emblem appears to be correct to a novice like me. I'm guessing it is for an earlier year than the 39 I'm getting. Hopefully someone will be able to identify the correct year and have some interest in it. Since the gentleman who owns it does not need it and appears it is not year specific to my car I hope it will find a good home. By the way, I have no financial interest in this at all; I'd just like like to see it taken care of in style. Gene

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Hmmm. It's different than one's I'm familiar with throughout the 1930s. It may be from the mid 1920s, as I'm not aware of any late 1920s or 1930s Packard trunks that are held onto the rack via the "hooks" on the side like that. Nor am I familiar with that brand, although the Packard label is certainly correct, and doesn't look like it was added recently.

West, I've heard and read that the ones held on with the hooks on the side were meant to be flipped over to one side to allow complete access to the car's trunk and then flipped back down. It was something about a rod going through those hooks if I can remember properly. I just can't remember to save my life some days here lately. Maybe someone else with chime in here and give up some up on this one. I do have about 16 more pictures the gentleman sent me. I may be worth it just as a piece of Packard history if I can get it around $350. But, if I do that I would really need to know more about the originality to bring it back. Gene

I still think it's pre-1928. The brackets for swinging for the post 1928 cars are entirely different. They mount below the trunk, with the trunk mounted to the brackets from the bottom via bolts. If I ever get my brackets on my car, I'll post a photo of what they look like, and how they work.

West, well, pre-1928 just makes it more important to preserve doesn't it? Even it a person doesn't want to put one behind their car, just the fact it exists is still important. I'm still hoping someone will have more definitive information to help date it.
Hello! Is there anyone out there?
Gene