Clock, ash trays, courtesy
lamps, and radio
were all comfort and
convenience features
that were not necessarily
standard equipment in- Highly effective
Easamatic power brakes
were optional even on
the well-equipped
Four Hundred.
In place of conventional front and rear springs was the new
Torsion-Level Suspension that used torsion bars interconnected
via the “levelizer” system; it promised to bring your Packard
“back to ideal ride level” in around seven seconds. The system
also promised to prevent pitching and bouncing of passengers.
The 1955 Packard is a capable car indeed. Owner Amos
Rolleau, of New Haven, Vermont, took us for a ride in our
subject car—a 1955 Packard Four Hundred—and we can
vouch for its “magic carpet” level of sensation. We did not
encourage Amos to throw the car into the turns, but period road
testers were equally enthusiastic about the handling torsion bars
gave the big Packards. Likewise, the Twin-Ultramatic can be
operated so as to engage low gear for quick starts, but even in
the conventional range, the ample torque of the 352 V-8 propels
the 4,250-pound Four Hundred from a stop quite effortlessly.
Speaking of stops, the Bendix Treadle Vac power brakes,
consisting of vacuum-boosted four-wheel drums, haul the cardown from speed with ease—no discs needed here unless you’re
worried about fading. In fact, Amos tells us that it’s critical when
braking to leave your heel on the fl oor and actuate the pedal
with the toes—lest you stab the brakes too hard and fi nd yourself
pitched off the broad, fl at bench seat and into the steering wheel.
Perhaps the most surprising part of experiencing the Four Hun-
dred in action is the exhaust note. While it’s no in-your-face muscle
car sound, the burble from the pipes is exquisite, leaving no doubt
that the power underhood is beyond adequate. Appropriately for a
Packard, however, it is near silent inside when underway.
When he fi rst saw this car in 1961, on the used-car lot of a
Chevrolet dealer in Marysville, Kansas, not far from the Kansas
State University campus in Manhattan, Amos knew he had to
have it. “My second semester of my freshman year,” he recalls,
“I hitched a ride home for Christmas. When I got back in January
1961, a roommate of mine who knew I was a Packard guy, told
me about the car.”Brushed stainless and red make for a handsome, modern (for 1955) combination on the dash of the Four Hundred. Note that gear selection
is made via a lever—pushbuttons would be an option the next year. Novi air conditioning controls are located below the steering column.30 HEMMINGS CLASSIC CAR OCTOBER 2019 I Hemmings.com