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

I was reading the Kimes Packard book in Ch. 20 (pp. 420-425) and was confused by what Packards were made where in the 5, 6, and 7 series, etc.

Addresses were given for the diff body shops. Packard std production, Custom Body, Dietrich, Inc, and Murray Body all produced the standard and semi-custom bodies. I think.

It seems that the 6-cyls and 8-cyls were separated to diff shops, but where did the Twin Sixes go for bodies?

I'm confused. Can anyone out there help? Maybe suggest a book ref?

thanks in advance,
rds

Believe by the time of the 5, 6, and 7 series the Twin Sixes were no longer in production and Twelve's were but a gleam in a Packard engineers eye.

rdsieber, you will love --> that website!

Thanks for the tip on the Coachbuilder's site. What a lot of work that was!

In those days luxury car bodies were more or less hand made and could come from a variety of suppliers, even for the same year and make of car.

First, you could order a car with the factory supplied body. In some cases they were made by the car manufacturer, but in many cases they bought bodies from outside suppliers. These bodies were bought in batches of 50,100 or more. They were kept in the factory warehouse and could be painted and upholstered to the customer's taste, and suitable accessories added, while the car was being made.

The factory catalog could show body designs by several different body suppliers especially fancy styles like roadsters, convertibles and speedsters.

If a customer wanted something really special he could order a chassis and have it sent to his favorite body company and have a unique custom built car made to his own design.

Probably 80% to 90% of Packards had factory supplied bodies but there are the some with special bodies by LeBaron, Derham and other custom builders.