Hemmings Classic Car – October 2019

PackardoriginatedautomobileairconditioningbeforeWorldWarII,soitspresencehereseemsonlynatural.Likeothersystemsoftheera,
theNoviairconditioneroccupiedaportionofthetrunkandfedcoolairtopassengersviaclearductsonthepackageshelf.

Amos’“Packardguy”credentialswerealreadywellestablish­
edbyhisfreshmanyearofcollege.HehadgrownupinaPackard
familyandhadalreadyhelpedhisfatherrestoresomevintage
Packardsasateenager.“Ilearnedtodriveonmygrandpa’s 1937
120 atage12,”hesays.“Myparentshada’41anda’48.Mydad
tradedthe’48Packardforabrandnew’51model,thenbought
mymotheranewClipperin1953.AllwehadwasPackard.”
Amos’roommateactuallyworkedattheChevroletdealer
inquestion.“Hetoldme,‘YououghttoseethePackardwetook
intrade.Everythingischrome!’”Amosdidn’thavetobetold
twice,heborrowedafriend’scarandatowbarandwenttotake
alook.
Packardhadbeengoneonlythreeyearsatthatpoint,and
Studebakerwasstillgoing(“Packard”remainedinthecorporate
nameuntil1962),butorphansdidnotbringgoodmoneyas
usedcars,nomatterhowexcellenttheywerewhennew.Espe­
ciallyorphanswithbadtransmissions.

Lookingthecarover,hewastakenwithitswirewheels,air

conditioning,redleatherinterior,blackpaint,andthedual­quad

CaribbeanV­8.SeniorPackardsalsocamestandardwithfeatures

likepowerbrakesandtheTwin­Ultramatictransmission—both

ofwhichwerepresentontheFourHundredinquestion.Equally

important,theconditionofthecarwasimmaculate.“Therewas

norust,”afactAmoscreditstothelackofsaltusedonKansas

roads,“anditwasn’tdented.Infact,itwasalotlikeitlooksto­

day.Thetransmissionwasbad,butthatdidn’tdeterme—when

you’re18,nothingdoes.”

TheTwin­Ultramaticiswell­understoodandstaunchly

defendedbyPackardenthusiaststoday,butatthetimeitwas

mysteriousandviewedastroubleprone—whichiswhythiscar

endeduponaused­carlotinKansas.Whenthetransmissiongot

sick,theoriginalownercalleditquitsandtradedinonanew

Impala.Thedealersetitoutforsaleas­is, and luckily for Amos, it

proved a tough sell.

The dual-quad, 275-hp, 352-cu.in. V-8 was standard on Caribbean convertibles and optional on other senior Packards. The original buyer of
this car spared no expense when fitting it out and thus opted for the most-powerful engine as well. Note the “batwing” air cleaner.

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