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 ($114,737 in 2023 dollars [3]) 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 ($206,526 in 2023 dollars [3]),[1] at a time when the top-line Lincoln Capri six-passenger convertible went for US$3,665 ($42,051 in 2023 dollars [3]),[4] the premier eight-place Cadillac Series 75 Fleetwood US$5643 ($64,746 in 2023 dollars [3]),[5] and even Packard's Patrician 400, their most expensive production model, was only US$3,767 ($43,221 in 2023 dollars [3]), and a six-seater.[5]
As many as six examples were built. The Pan-American did inspire a successful six-place model, the Caribbean, which debuted in 1953.[1]
See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ a b c d e Flory, J. "Kelly", Jr. "Packard Pan-American", in American Cars 1946-1959 (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Coy, 2008), p.1022.
- ^ Flory, p.1022.
- ^ a b c d e 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Flory, p.440.
- ^ a b Flory, p.456.
Sources edit
- Flory, J. "Kelly", Jr. "Packard Pan-American", in American Cars 1946-1959, p. 1022. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Coy, 2008.