Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Some of you older correspondents will recall, in a thread long dormant now about the postwar Packard customs, a discussion about the Monte Carlo of 1952/53 (as differentiated from the 23rd series experimental of the same name). At that time I was asked if the car still existed and where and I responded that it did but I wasn't at liberty to say where.

Those of you who follow the estate sale action may have come across an estate sale in South Carolina with many Packards for sale, one of which is the 1952 Monte Carlo. After a long, reclusive existence, it has surfaced. It's said to have been a miserable road car (inadequate body structural stability), but I suspect it will still go for very significant money.

To those of you to whom this is all new but have an interest, you might go search out that old thread - it was filled with good info on the Panther-Daytonas, Pan Americans, Request, etc. Wish I could put up a link to it, but I'll bet someone else does before I even finish my coffee.

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Hi Owen

Is there a link to the estate sale site with photos and details of the '52 Monte Carlo sale.

I'm surprise the car had structural deficiencies, one would think they would have built the top on a convertible body structure. Was it based on a hardtop body?

Steve

From what I've heard and can't confirm, it was built on a Mayfair chassis and was only intended (as were quite a few show cars) as a showroom traffic builder, and to be destroyed thereafter.

The only link I'm aware of is the one already given in the related post "Packard Collection for Sale".

Haven't had much time for online pursuits lately, but since no one else came up with the info on the other thread...

I first brought up the topic of this Monte Carlo, back in early 2007 in a thread on Show and Concept Cars, but it got no reponse and the matter (and thread) seemed to end there.

Over a year and half later, Owen_Dyneto started a thread on the Packard Monte Carlo, which initially focused on a Monte Carlo that was based on 22nd Series car. When I asked about a later, second version, there seemed to be a lot of confusion. Packard53 (John Shireman) helped clear things up with his post:

https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=1672&forum=2&post_id=15084#forumpost15084

...and things took off from there. Yet, discussion soon drifted off-topic to other show and custom cars, which prompted Owen_Dyneto to start a separate thread on the Postwar Coachbuilt Packards.

Those two threads generated an incredible amount of interest and participation - for months on end. Althougn there are now some gaps because a former member asked for his posts to be edeleted, these are some of the most informative discussions that you'll find on the topics anywhere online.

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I would like to think that, between Packard and the builder (Henney), they would have had enough engineering sense to use a convertible frame and related reinforcement techniques to compensate for the structural integrity that was lost in a closed car to - what is, for all practical purposes - an open design.

However, with the front half of the roof removed, the rest of the roof would act like a parachute and had to make for terrible handling at anything above in-town speeds.

Hi

I imagine the functional integrity of the finished car wasn't the primary consideration when the '52/'53 Monte Carlo was built, especially if it was done on a tight schedule to have something 'dazzling' to show.

The Coupe de Ville body type does seem to have the problem of how to relieve the air pressure scooped into the rear seat area at moderate speed. No doubt that affect would cause the handling to be erratic.

In contrast to the blockbuster Pan Americans, in my opinion, the '52/'53 Monte Carlo was a very pale effort: a little two-toning, a continental kit, opening the drivers' compartment of a Mayfair hardtop with B-pillars added to a body designed to remove just that feature....who came up with that? Maybe it's better than I give it credit.

In Packard's defense, they redeemed themselves with the Balboa X: a genuinely innovative top feature which could have been a great selling feature for Packard if included in the Detroit '57 line had it made it to market.

Steve