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I'm far to elementary minded to know where or how to look but is there a source here on the site where one can find photos of the Packard Assembly line in action from say post war production up to the final days? And how did Briggs move all those bodies from their manufacturing facilities over to the Packard facilities for assembly? Did Packard stamp any of the body panels such as front fenders, bumpers,doors, etc. or did Briggs make all of the sheet metal parts? I'm just curious as to what was manufactured internally and what was out-sourced.

Oh shoot!...never mind, I see it in the photo Archive! Sorry guys.

With the exception of 41-54 when Briggs built most of the bodies, Packard stamped and assemblied most of their own bodies. Exceptions were of course the customs and series customs, and a few strays like the early Single Sixes by Pullman. Some individual items were outsourced even during the time Packard made their own bodies, for example they used Budd for doors for quite a few years beginning (I think) with the 120 in 1935.

Owen, right, that's what I'm curious about. How did they move the bodies from Briggs over to Packard for assembly? did they use some type of specially designed trailers and truck them over or maybe flatbed train cars equipped with cradles to hold them in place? I just wonder what a bystander would have seen in the day if he or she were to have witnessed the transporting of a load of bodies? so you're saying that Briggs pretty much stamped out all of the sheet metal parts for the period of time that they were under contract with Packard? I know Budd made doors for Studebaker trucks in the 40's and wheels for a lot of other vehicles.

By truck, same way Chrysler moved their bodies from Briggs to their plant. I've got a photo somewhere from the Wayne State University archies as I recall. As soon as I find it, I'll add it here.

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Trucking was not uncommon. As late as 1981 that i know of American Motors trucked passenger car 'bodies in white" from Milwaukee to Kenosha winter, spring summer and fall. A distance of about 40 miles IIRC. Body in white means BARE METAL, as in NOT painted.

Wow look at that!...what a neat photo Owen! That's the American way in its finest form and in it's finest hour. Thanks for posting that Owen...I'd hate to be the driver of that truck and jackknife it inroute to the assembly plant!

And look at the length of that trailer!...he's got at least 8 bodies at about 6' wide each and maybe 1' in between so it's easily in excess of 50'...what an impressive production process. I would have loved to have had the opportunity to tour the Packard Plant when it was in operation.

In Detroit, Fisher body shipped bodies from their plant a few miles away to the Cadillac Clark street assembly plant. It was kinda neat, bodies coming in and they mated up with the correct color front ends already there. Note: no computers to keep organized. I watched the body drop and it was awesome. The body drop was moved to a museum in Detroit when the plant closed and torn down. There were always a lot of semi's hauling the bodies to Clark street.

A bit off topic, but still relevant. I remember - when driving west on I-580 between Livermore and Pleasanton, California - seeing trucks with trailers loaded with several Toyota pickup truck beds going to the assembly plant in Fremont. They were painted body colors. I don't know where the beds were made.

(o[]o)