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

It is not hard to make doors by hand if you have the right tools and skills. I mean metal doors. The prewar buses and stretched Chevrolets would have had hand made metal panels and doors, either made all of metal or metal outside panels over an ash wood frame.

The Packard shows signs of crude work. The doors on the right side do not match the originals around the window area and it appears the left side does not open. The added length is solid and only the original doors open.

This would be understandable in the context of war production. They would have been under pressure to turn out vehicles quickly and with the minimum use of steel and other strategic materials. These vehicles were meant for buses and not luxury limousines.

All new car production was suspended in early 1942 (I think it was April 1942) and all unsold cars were taken by the government and put into bonded warehouses. No one could buy a new car except in special cases such as doctors and veterinarians and others essential to the war effort who had to have a car.

New vehicles were issued to the military and other government agencies as necessary.

Fitzjohn would have been converting whatever vehicles that were sent to them. If the supply of Chevrolets ran out then it would be Packards or whatever was available. Probably the Packards were preferred, as a heavy car it would stand up better to the extra weight and hard service.

It's an interesting sidelight on the can do attitude of American industry at that time. You had the world's best baling wire or seat of the pants engineers. The volume of war materiel turned out in a few years was incredible. This could only be achieved by cutting corners and streamlining production wherever possible in other words McGyver had nothing on your war industries.

Well said Rusty.

Here's to 'Can Do!' attitude.
We need it these days.

DanL

"A special type of model 100 using wood for the conversion and containing 15 back-to-back seats was designed and built in large numbers. Many of them were assigned by the Office of Defense Transportation to common carriers while others, often built from Pontiac or Packard cars, were delivered to the U.S. Army."

By common carriers I think they mean Chevrolets for public bus service. The Packards were made for the Army.This would include the "Atomic Packard" with its wood and masonite construction.

Wonder if any others survive? Probably they were worn out in bus service and junked in the 50s.

From the history of Fitzjohn

http://www.geocities.com/fitzjohnbus/Page16txtandimage.html

They go on to say that bus production ended in the fall of 1942, although some buses were not completed and delivered until early 1943. In the summer of 1943 the War Production Board eased supplies of metal and engines, and bus production resumed in December 1943.

This suggests that the Packard was converted in late 1942 or early 1943 when steel was not available.

My friend sent me that local newspaper article on the Atomic packard. I have not had a change to read it. But her husband works for Sandia National Labs, and she included an article from the Labs January newsletter where they also also talk about the Packard. It has a nice direct side shot that shows all the wooden frame work. The article is titled "Oppies Ride". I will see if I can get the picture scanned and post for reference.

There was also an article in The Cormorant News Bulletin from May 2006 (Volume LIII, number 5) titled "A Packard, With a Secret Past" by Jeremy D. Cook and Cynthia C. Kelly. This issue had the Clipper bus on the cover.

Fascinating info.

I suppose every auto's story intersects many influences and events of history. This one, however, seems to be well above the average.

DanL

I was going to contact the Sandia Lab News editor to get permission to post the article here, but in checking there website, they actually post all their articles online.

So here is the PDF version of their January 30th, 2009 newsletter. The small article (1/2 page) on the Atomic Packard is on the last page of the PDF.

http://www.sandia.gov/LabNews/ln01-30-09/labnews01-30-09.pdf

Does anyone in the southwest have access to the restoration shop restoring the 1941 Packard Clipper stretched "limo" that was used for transportation on the Manhattan project?
I'd love to see some "during" restoration photos. There are plenty of photos of the car before restoration on the Museum's "photobucket", but I'm wondering how the project is coming along.
Thanks.

FYI- A friend in New Mexico just send me a text message that she just passed the Limo on the back of a flat bed, and it appeared to be done. It was sporting an O/D green matte paint job. She thinks it may have been heading toward the museum.

Thanks, Kev. I'll e-mail Sandra at the museum and see if I can get more info.