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Re: Packard Bikes
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So. We showed you the early Classic Bicycle Era headbadge for Colson-built Packard bicycles. Now here is the headbadge design that followed.
What we show here is New Old Stock (NOS) never mounted, never drilled, never bent brass. But you can get an excellent idea of the original appearance, including colors and plating. By the way, SOME of these were brass while others were made of aluminum. On the brass headbadges, the raised areas were nickel plated. On the aluminum versions, the raised areas were simply natural silvery look of aluminum. Image is courtesy of Leon Dion / National Bicycle History Archive of America (NBHAA.com). Attach file:  Packard(Colson)HeadbadgeNOSNBHAA.jpeg (210.33 KB)
Posted on: 2023/11/22 21:52
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Re: Packard Bikes
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Beautiful and the colors are so vivid!
Posted on: 2023/11/23 13:10
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Re: Packard Bikes
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And now for something REALLY new! Pay close attention because THIS six-degrees of separation takes many wild twists and turns!
From the bulging National Bicycle History Archive of America (NBHAA.com), something that ties Packards, bicycles, technology, automotive styling of Brooks Stevens, bicycle design, early gas stations, early TV and the amazing Earle C. Anthony all into one! Yesss... we'll pull this alllllll together for you right here. If you know your Packard history, you'll know that Cleveland Welding Company supplied early wheels to Packard Motor Car Company and developed demountable rim technology used on early Packard vehicles. By the mid-1930s, Cleveland Welding Company (CWC) jumped into the bicycle business with both feet. The result was a very well made premium line of bicycles known as "Roadmaster" brand. Now, for those who think of Roadmaster as a cheaper-made brand from the 1960s-1970s, we're talking about the original 1930s to 1950s era of Roadmasters. And those were super-premium, high technology bicycles with the ultimate in craftsmanship! Additionally, Cleveland Welding Company also made SOME of the Packard bicycles. I'm attaching an image of a CWC-built Packard bicycle headbadge, courtesy of Leon Dixon and National Bicycle History Archive of America. Now. One of the early Los Angeles television stations was KFI-TV. It was the sister channel to KFI-AM radio– which still exists today. Who originally owned KFI? None other than the amazing Packard West Coast Distributor and genius extraordinaire, Mr. Earle C. Anthony. Originally, KFI had what was known as "Clear Channel" status with the FCC. This meant that no other broadcaster could transmit on the same channel. Thus it was possible to listen to KFI just about anywhere one could pick up the AM signal (Mr. Anthony used to sail his yacht to Hawaii and Tahiti, listening to KFI out on the waves... He did likewise in his private train car). Of course this was long before "Clear Channel" became a brand name as it is today. Of course, again, if you know your Packard history, Mr. Anthony's list of accomplishments and firsts is almost endless. He built what may have been the first electric car in California as a teen. He was West Coast Packard Motor Car Company Distributor with some of the world's most magnificent dealerships. Founder of one the the earliest and most successful radio channels in California. The man who brought the first commercially successful NEON SIGN to America and licensed the Claude Neon Company in the USA. Started National Supply Stations which ultimately became CHEVRON gas stations of today. And on and on. KFI-TV did one of the first broadcasts in SoCal and featured famous Betty White to do it. KFI-TV was the progenitor of television cooking shows. KFI-TV featured a cooking show with a famous local female host in a staged kitchen– made to appear as if in a mansion. And KFI-TV had other great programming. Famous cartoonist, Frank Webb (he did the very popular Raising Kane comic strip in national newspapers and lots of others) also appeared on KFI-TV. Mr. Webb had his own syndicated TV show called Let's Draw (... "Are you ready kids? Hurry up... hurry up ... get your paper and pen and draw!"). (You have to be a certain age to remember this stuff.) Let's Draw was sponsored by Roadmaster Bicycles division of Cleveland Welding Company. The TV show was largely geared toward kids. Roadmaster even adopted a Disney-esque advertising mascot. An elf named "Roady Roadmaster." Contrary what people today and the internet will lead you to believe, Roadmaster bicycles were VERY popular and sought-after between the 1930s and the end of the 1950s. And as I said, they made a number of Packard-branded bicycles. Who designed Roadmaster and CWC-built "Packard" bicycles? Why, none other than the famous automotive designer, Brooks Stevens. Brooks, (who I knew and corresponded with for years) also did work for Studebaker and Packard. I am attaching a very, very rare photo and clipping from the bicycle industry trade magazine, Bicycle Journal. BJ was originally published by my old friend, Bill Quinn out of Fort Worth, Texas. Yesss NBHAA has the entire hardbound archive of Bicycle Journal magazine which dates back to the 1940s. Shown in this photo is a 1950 Roadmaster Luxury Liner which was CWC's top-of-the-line bicycle. The Luxury Liner was the direct competitor to Schwinn's "Phantom" series. The Luxury Liner featured a very advanced front suspension fork; chrome fenders, crescent handlebars, "Searchbeam" headlight; electric horn; and a special rear carrier with built-in electric tail light/brake light (yes, applying the brake actually made the tail light illuminate brighter– just like in a car! In case anyone is wondering, the tag near the right rear axle nut was to tell you about the electric brake light operation). For those dyed-in-the-wool hardcore Cleveland Welding Company Roadmaster Luxury Liner fans, NOTE that the chain guard does NOT say "Luxury Liner" or anything at all. Contrary to what you will see on the internet or on the awful so-called "authentic reproductions" of these bicycles made in recent years. Had enough for now? Sit back and breathe easy... there's always more to come! Images courtesy of Leon Dixon / National Bicycle History Archive of America (NBHAA.com). Attach file:  PackCWBadgeCR.jpg (48.47 KB) KFI-TVandRoadmasterBicycleNBHAAWM.jpeg (1,080.67 KB)
Posted on: 12/10 16:22
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Re: Packard Bikes
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KFI AM reached as far east as North Texas. Weak signal, but good enough to identify. At the time, top forty type programming was on, and the station identified as "KFI Coast". I haven't seen a good example of a 1930s 1940s bicycle in a long time.
Posted on: 12/10 18:20
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Re: Packard Bikes
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In discussing Packard bicycles during this thread, many questions and mentions of other Packard-branded items have emerged.
So to wrap up 2023, I thought I would share yet another amazing "Packard" item I'll bet most of you have neither seen nor heard about. It was called the Packard "Pla-Mor" audio speaker system. It was a futuristic juke box. Take a look at this fascinating wildness from 1946...! Yes... the special Pla-Mor speaker system hung from ceilings. The dazzling Pla-More hanging speakers rotated and featured colored lighting. Futuristic stuff for the 1940s. Lest I forget to mention, Packard Pla-Mor hanging speakers rotated and contained colored lights– but Sham-Wow! Wait... there's more. The rotating hanging speaker units contained a special reservoir for bubble-making fluid! Yessssss, that's right. Long before Lawrence Welk and his champagne bubble machine there was the Packard Pla-Mor system spewing out bubbles as it spun above the listeners and dancers below! And no... Packard Motor Car Company didn't make these amazing audio systems. But wow! Imagine having one of these dangling from the ceiling at your New Year's celebration! Attach file: PackardPla-MorSpeaker2.JPG (141.25 KB)
Posted on: 12/30 10:37
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Re: Packard Bikes
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A company called Packard Bell marketed television sets, if I recall correctly.
Posted on: 12/30 12:57
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Re: Packard Bikes
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Leeedy some guy is selling "Packard playmore" plastics in PA but I can't tell what for.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/876029770574728/?mibextid=dXMIcH
Posted on: 1/2 18:57
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'55 400. Needs aesthetic parts put back on, and electrical system sorted.
'55 Clipper Deluxe. Engine is stuck-ish. |
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Re: Packard Bikes
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Many years ago, the local Chevrolet had some kind of bubble machine operating in the showroom for a gala promotion. It may have been for the 1955 model introduction. About all I remember is the bubbles. I wonder if it might have been one of the Pla-Mor devices. I don't think the local juke box/shuffleboard/cigarette machine operator had any, but the dealer may have rented an outfit from Ft. Worth.
Posted on: 1/2 19:25
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Re: Packard Bikes
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Quote:
Yes. Of course there were also the Wurlitzer and Rock-Ola "bubbler" jukeboxes. I had one of these, owned since the 1950s. An unimaginative, irresponsible relative left the machine sitting in a basement of one of my Detroit commercial properties when I sold the building many years ago (I was living in California at the time). The relative simply could not understand why in the world I wanted such a "heavy old contraption" saved????? And thus it was absorbed into the great disappearing disposal grinder of... Detroit. As it has become.
Posted on: 1/19 20:32
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