Featured is a classic 1946 Packard Clipper Four Door Sedan.
Packard has a very rich history in the automobile industry. It all began when mechanical engineer James Ward Packard and his brother, William Dowd Packard, produced their very first automobile in Warren, Ohio in 1899. This was a buggy type motor vehicle with a one cylinder engine.
The Packard Clipper model first appeared in April 1941 and at that time the Clipper was considered a very innovative automobile.
Most American automakers introduced their first post war designs by the 1948 and 1949 model years. In the case of Packard, the company was unable to produce a post war design until the 1951 model year. This of course put Packard at a significant disadvantage and it cost them competitively.
There was a time earlier in the century when Packard was known as a premiere luxury car maker but after the war that reputation began fading fast. In addition to that, Packard wasn’t faring too well in the mid priced market. This was surprising in as much as Packard declined in a period of a car buying boom in America.
The Packard Clipper Model
The Packard Clipper was a model of the Packard Motors Company from 1941 to 1954, and, following a merger, by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation for 1955 and 1957.
The Packard Clippers were know to be innovative automobiles. Since 1899 Packard has produced some of the most graceful and striking automobiles to ever drive down the streets of America. Packard was a popular automobile for those who could afford to purchase one.
Packard merged with Studebaker (Packard bought Studebaker) to become Studebaker-Packard. The last Packards were built for 1958.
The 1946 Packard Clipper
The first post war 1946 Packard Clipper had the resemblance of the 1942 models but was offered not only as a four door sedan and club coupe but also as a seven passenger sedan and limousine.
1946 Packard Clipper Specifications
The 1946 Packard Clipper was produced with a 356 Cubic Inch Straight Eight delivering 165 HP.
Transmissions available were a three and four speed manual.
Brakes were four wheel hydraulic drums.
Dimensions were a wheelbase of 120.0 inches, outside overall length 208.43 inches, width 76.125 inches.
1946 Packard production numbers totaled 30,792 vehicles. This edged out competitor Cadillac which produced 29,210 vehicles that year. The 1946 model year production began immediately after World War Two. For the 1947 model year Packard built a bit over 50,000 vehicles.
Related Auto Museum Online articles are found on the links below..
Reference material for this article includes..Complete Book of Collectible Cars by Richard M. Langworth and the Editors of Consumer Guide…Packard: A History of the Motor Car and the Company by Beverly Kimes…The Fall of the Packard Motor Car Company by author James A. Ward.
1946 Packard Clipper Sedan Collector Car
The 1946 and 1947 Packard Clipper is thought by many to represent the peak of Packard automobile manufacturing quality. As mentioned above, production during these two postwar years was relatively low which means there’s not a lot of them around today.
Finding a model similar to the one featured here is not easy. If you do run across one they make terrific additions to any classic car collection and will be real head turners at car shows.
There are not a lot of these 1946 Packard Clippers around and their value today is very dependent on the car’s originality, condition and degree and age of restoration. A matching numbers original example might be valued today in a range from about $20,000 to $75,000.
(Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online)