Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

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Agreed, they might have the same sources, and could possibly be traced back to a single source of questionable reliability. That's how this stuff gets started. Someone makes a list based on guesstimates or what they've heard and it others pick it up until it's "agreed" that it must be right--it's been copied everywhere.

It is telling that a well-researched book that used many original sources available only from Packard was not able to locate reliable production figures by modes for 1954-56. Makes you wonder what special information the other list-makers relied upon.

Without verifiable sources, the Packard V8 production by model is still a mystery.

Build sheets only give counts for whatever cars build sheets can be located. They might indicate minimum numbers, but never a verifiable total count. Only factory records could do that, and they very well might not exist.

Yes, and no. We now know thanks to 56executive that the chart I posted (with corrections pointed out by him) was derived from an internal Packard record and that document still exists, so I don't really think there is any mystery about the V8 production by year and model.

Now prewar is an entirely different matter because they didn't keep production records by body/chassis type; the only way there is to know how many of a particular model were made is those years is by whatever the highest known production sequence # (second part of the VN, minus the null) that has been found.


Build sheets only give counts for whatever cars build sheets can be located.

That's not true as long as the cars were numbered in sequence, if the only 56 Patrician build slip that existed was for 5682-4775, would that mean that only one Patrician was made? Of course not. Subtract 1000 from that, and the # of Patricians should be 3775.

Here are some production figures for V8's that Owen provided from a source. Any others could be posted here and some comparisons made, and discussion about independent verification.

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Well, I'm trying to get to "yes."

Nuff said. Continue to believe it's a mystery if you wish.

this is my source for production figures it was current up to 1957 ending with the totals for 1956 Production

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Thanks 56executive. I've always assumed that a record of that type was the basis for the appendix in the Turnquist book, do you know if that's correct?

I do not know

from Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980 Richard M Langsworth.


From list in post#3 above:
"Clipper Sedan Touring Sedan 1784"

Is listed in Langsworth as:
"Executive Sedan 4 dr 1784"

From list in post#3 above:
"Packard Executive 2dr HT & Sedan 1031".

listed in Langsworth as
"Executive Hard top 1031".

edit: condensed into post #9 above