Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Any idea when and where these photos were taken?

This photo and the others taken of this car are interesting;
https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=9161&cid=57

The steering wheel and column color don't look like what was in the final production. Even the horn button looks different.

Seeing the photos made me think of the passing of Ed Cunningham, so many questions, never asked.
https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=9210&forum=4

I love this picture;
https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=2755

Look at the louvres, they do not look like the ones in production. Maybe because they have black paint? Compare them to this picture;
https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/uploads/photos/2750.jpg

Look at the top boot, does there look like a top mechanism under it?
https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/uploads/photos/2758.jpg

Sorry, can't really comment on your questions, but that has got to be one of the best line-up rear bumpers of any V8 senior I've ever seen.

Hello Let the Ride..:

One of the photos says is was scanned by Kevin Luedtke and I was speaking with him earlier today at our Motor City Packard Tech Session. I have placed a call to him and will have him respond or I will get an answer from him.

I can tell you it is NOT at the PPG. Nowhere on the property are there triple saw cuts in the concrete as shown in three of the photos.

--Roger--

Hello All:

I just spoke with Kevin and he does not know the location. However, as he scanned the photos from the DPL/NAHC he was wondering the same thind - where were the photos taken.

We bandied about some possible locations and have a few ideas. Kevin will do more research for this forum.

Meanwhile, I am glad you brought these photos to our attention. As Chairman of the 2013 PAC Meet one of the things I thought about doing was making a list of backgound locations of famous Packard ads and promotional material. Then, when you come to town for the 2013 Meet we gave give you driving directions to those spots and create your own "Kodak Moment" with your Packard in the same location as famous Packard spots.

When we have an answer, then we will post it.

Meanwhile, if you have an idea of the location, then let us know.

--Roger--

RogerDetroit,

Since you are active in the area of East Grand Boulevard, I was wondering if you had seen this link. The man seems steeped enough in the significance of his location to appreciate a visit from some of the men "who own one." It might make a terrific little event. I'd go if I were in the area and had a Packard to show him that came from "his" factory.

[url=http://autos.yahoo.com/news/meet-allan-hill--the-man-who-lives-in-detroit's-abandoned-packard-auto-plant.html]http://autos.yahoo.com/[/url]

RogerDetroit,
I hope you and Kevin can find out. Was creative industries involved in the 55 Caribbean? What about the utica plant? Maybe an advertising agency?

Hello Let the Ride...
Don't worry, we will chase this down.

Definitely not the Utica Plant - no concrete pattern and no field stone walls.

We have already discussed Creative Industries location and do not think it is there.

Our current thinking is the Chandler Park Recreation Center - a City of Detroit park about 3 miles due east of the PMCC on the north side of Warren Ave. Relatively close to the plant.

We've looked as the entire series of scans posted by BigKev for the 55 Packards and noticed several things. (1) In some of the photos there is a public drinking fountain (built into a long trough) such as you see in parks and outdoor pools. (2) The title of one of the photos (Library Gallery > 1955 > page 13 > photo #121) mentions a "Rec Center." (3) In the background of some of the photos is a large expanse of vacant land - much like you might find in a park.

Again, we are double checking and will post an answer once we are certain of the location.

By the way, will you be coming to the Motor City for the 2013 PAC National Meet??

Maybe start out to narrow search analysis to relatively new (for 1955) facilities. Something in keeping with the general trend of 1955 - the flee to the suburbs.

Kensington park comes to mind as well as Northland shopping centre.

I doubt that the location would be anything with in the Detroit city limits for any promotions in the 1955 time frame.

Detroit or Hazeltucky race courses or the horse track that was out west of town on Base line road near Mayberry sanitarium (i can't remeber it;'s name rite now)???

Let me say this about that...

First of all, those are very astute observations! The best we can probably do is make educated conjecture, but when it's 57 years after the fact and most of the people who were present at the creation are now dead, well, you just do the best you can.

Anyway, it's indeed very possible and highly probable that what we're looking at is a styling fiberglass model of the 1955 Caribbean, as we know from the Kimes Automobile Quarterly book that the Caribbean was the latest of the late 1955 Packards. Production of the 1955's began about three or four months later than usual model years. and the first production Caribbean was not ready until April 1955.

HOWEVER... These promotional photographs for the entire 1955 Packard and Clipper line-up were all taken at the same time, as we can tell from other photographs in this series at the National Automotive History Collection at the Detroit Public Library. Those pictures showed the photogrpahers setting up their ladders and lighting, etc., and you could see all the cars gathered together in the background. It seems from the coats being worn that this was likely done in the fall before the snows, just as perhaps the first early-build prototypes were becomng available. In the case of the Caribbean, though, it makes perfect sense that could have been just a styling model.

We'll have to look at the other angles of the Caribbean photos that were taken that day to see if there are any signs of a powertrain in the vehicle, and of course we'll continue our investigation of the location to see if we can determine where the pictures were taken.

About 2 1/2 years ago someone asked where this photo was taken and now I have the answer.

The photo below was taken at Metropolitan Beach near the concession/administrative buildings. The tip is the three, saw-cut, rows in the concrete patio and the fieldstone fa?ade on the buildings. Metro Beach is 770 acre park at the far eastern end of 16 Mile Road (aka Metro Parkway) at Lake St. Clair in Harrison Township, MI - a NE suburb of Detroit.

Packard also did a photo shoot of other 1955 models, including the 400 and Clipper - just look for the three, saw-cut, rows in the concrete.

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