Cadillac may have been the epitome of American luxury to me when I was a budding automotive enthusiast, but history shows that Packard was the standard of the world through the 1940s. Several missteps compromised Packard’s position. Our Pick of the Day embodies Packard’s last vestige of tradition before it became a contemporary to Cadillac once again. This 1953 Packard Patrician four-door sedan is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Houston. (Click the link to view the listing.)
The first self-starter in 1912. The first mass-produced V8 in 1914. “The Penalty of Leadership” in 1915. The first synchromesh transmission in 1929. The first V16 in 1930. The first adjustable suspension in 1933. A high-compression V8 in 1949. Cadillac has made an impact in Detroit and overseas, but America’s premiere luxury brand—one of the three Ps (the others being Pierce-Arrow and Peerless)—also made its mark. Is there any irony that it started with a copywriter’s pen too? “Ask the Man Who Owns One” became Packard’s tagline in 1902. If that seems quite early, allow me to confirm your hunch.
As strong as Cadillac’s styling was in the 1930s-1940s, it was not enough to outdo Packard, which also had a strong sense of style, though even more traditional and conservative. Yet, it seems, General Motors’ new 1940 C-bodies put pressure on Packard to come up with something less dated than what was currently being offered. It challenged Howard “Dutch” Darrin to design “a new standard car line” in 10 days; Darrin came up with something that could be seen as taking the baton from Cadillac’s Sixty Special. Truth be told, Packard made the Clipper more conservative than what Darrin submitted, yet the Clipper set the tone for the rest of the 1940s…somewhat.
Because World War II interrupted production early in the 1942 model year—by then, all Packards save custom builds featured Clipper styling—Packard was not able to coast on its success. A series of post-war miscalculations allowed Cadillac to take the lead, and Packard’s redesigned 1948s aged quickly. The 1951 redesign that followed was much more contemporary, but it lagged behind Cadillac’s strong styling and lacked a modern V8, something that was being demanded in the marketplace.
Nineteen fifty-one was the first year of the Patrician, a new name for Packard’s senior series and only available as a four-door sedan on a 127-inch wheelbase. For 1953, Packard facelifted the front end and added a four-barrel to the 327ci straight-eight for 180 horsepower. The Ultramatic automatic transmission was standard on the Patrician. This generation would last for another year before a fantastic V8 Packard would debut for 1955, but by then, it was too little, too late. America’s most respected motorcar was discontinued in 1958.
This two-tone blue 1953 Packard Patrician “showcases the robust craftsmanship and engineering” that the marque was known for. It was originally sold by Jordan Motor Sales in San Diego, though its history leading to Texas is unknown. The seller does claim that it appears to have had some cosmetic work done, including newer paint and patterned cloth upholstery, which is reflected in its presentation here. An AM radio with a power antenna was the height of high-fidelity at the time. The seller states that the “trunk lid closes nicely, and inside the trunk is a color-keyed spare tire.”
“Patrician” is the perfect name for this vehicle, a paragon of a time when you drove what you were. You can show folks how you roll for $27,500 (OBO).
Click here for this ClassicCars.com Pick of the Day.
Source: www.classiccars.com