'56 Packard Man

Hat tips today to “Ol’ Petrol Head” and “The Undertaker”

First up, “Ol’ Petrol Head”, who lives in England, and is on tour “down under”. He sent us the link to the website of the Packard Motor Museum, located in Maungatapere, Whangarei, New Zealand New Zealand. The collection spans Packard production from the early years up to and including 1958, which is represented by a Packard Hawk, one of only 588 built. Motorcycles, English cars, and military vehicles are also represented.

Packard and Studebaker historian George Hamlin writes about this museum:

“The NZ Packard museum, which when Graeme Craw was alive was the Anawhata Packard Museum, was originally conceived as a means of documenting NZ’s early industrial history.  I BELIEVE it may have more Packards than any other Packard collection.  It’s in Whangarei, ‘way up top of the North Island; PAC went there as part of one of its Macauley Tours.

Fenton Craw has done well with it since his father died.”

Their website notes that many more Packards are at their farm.

“The Undertaker”, who lives in Ohio (and is also a “Gear Head”), sent us information on the James Ward Packard Memorial in Warren, Ohio:

“Automotive Manufacturer. He was regarded as one of the finest auto engineering industrialist and was the founder of the Packard Motor Car Company. Before building his first automobile in 1899, he successfully operated his own business, Packard Electric, in Warren, Ohio. In 1900, he applied for a patent for a new innovative car design, which included a flexible shaft drive that could be used in place of the chain drive and the Packard Motor Car Company, was formed in 1902. Together with his brother William Doud Packard, they went on to pioneer early automotive history with many industry standards still in use to date. Following the company relocation to Detroit, Michigan, in 1903, General Motors acquired the company in 1932. The company manufactured thousands of vehicles, merged with the Studebaker Corporation n 1954 and the last production line Packard was made in 1958. The Delphi Packard Electric Systems Company spun off and became independent of General Motors in 1999. Packard died at age 64 in Cleveland, Ohio and is member of the Automotive Hall of Fame.”

“The Undertaker” has a model of the Packard Memorial in his office!: