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 ($110,201 in 2022 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 ($198,361 in 2022 dollars [3]),[1] at a time when the top-line Lincoln Capri six-passenger convertible went for US$3,665 ($40,388 in 2022 dollars [3]),[4] the premier eight-place Cadillac Series 75 Fleetwood US$5643 ($62,186 in 2022 dollars [3]),[5] and even Packard's Patrician 400, their most expensive production model, was only US$3,767 ($41,513 in 2022 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

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. 1 2 3 4 5 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 May 28, 2023.
  4. ↑ Flory, p.440.
  5. 1 2 Flory, p.456.

Sources

  • Flory, J. "Kelly", Jr. "Packard Pan-American", in American Cars 1946-1959, p. 1022. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Coy, 2008.
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