Packard Pan-American

The Packard Pan-American is a concept car produced for the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan in 1952.

Conceived as a moderate-performance two-seater by Hugh Ferry, president of Packard, it was built by Henney, which was responsible for fitting custom hearse and ambulance bodies on Packard chassis.[1] A status symbol for a carmaker at the time, this sort of car was a very unlikely project for Packard.[1]

With styling by Henney, it was based on the 1951 Series 250 convertible, and ready in time for the 1952 New York International Motor Sports Show.[2] Sectioned and channelled, in a fashion reminiscent of the 1953 Skylark, and wearing the trademark Packard grille, it "was elegantly trimmed throughout".[1]

Packard spent US$10,000 building the Pan-American, and management tried in vain to imagine, let alone develop, a market for a roadster projected to cost at least US$18,000,[1] at a time when the top-line Lincoln Capri six-passenger convertible went for US$3,665,[3] the premier eight-place Cadillac Series 75 Fleetwood US$5643,[4] and even Packard's Patrician 400, their most expensive production model, was only US$3,767, and a six-seater.[4]

As many as six examples were built. The Pan-American did inspire a successful six-place model, the Cavalier, which debuted in 1953.[1]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Flory, J. "Kelly", Jr. "Packard Pan-American", in American Cars 1946-1959 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Coy, 2008), p.1022.
  2. ↑ Flory, p.1022.
  3. ↑ Flory, p.440.
  4. 1 2 Flory, p.456.

Sources

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