The idea behind Ten Days of Packard is simple: Each August, we encourage Motor City Packards members to use their Packards as often as possible—whether that means participating in a show, a cruise-in, or simply using their car to run errands—for a ten-day stretch. By getting our cars on the road and in the public eye, we’re spreading awareness of our favorite marque, especially among younger generations that might not have seen a Packard on the road before. Hopefully, we’ll create a few new Motor City Packards members in the process.
By the time the official Ten Days comes to a close, we find that many participants don’t want to put their cars back in the garage! Here’s a look at what we were driving in 2020.
Day 1
MCP Member and Packard Proving Grounds volunteer extraordinaire Dave Dolby sent us this photo of him and his grandson Logan standing in front of Dave’s 1956 Packard Executive sedan. This photo was taken as part of his submission for the 2020 PAC Cyber Concours Judging event. Dave reports that he had challenged Logan to manage the entire submission process for him. Logan asked his high school friend Hayden, who is pursuing a career in photography, to take the required pictures. Together they selected the date, time, and locations for the required shots. They chose the final seven photos submitted from the several dozen taken. Dave only had to supply the Packard!
This is MCP’s current Executive Director Kevin Luedtke in the mid-1980’s with his first Packard, a 1955 Caribbean that at one time was owned by Marv King! The red sweatpants were good for staying warm while stringing new brake lines in October!
Day 2
MCP member Tim Schafer says “Sliding Boy on this 1929 Model 633 is anxious to get back on the road for Ten Days of Packard… with appropriate precautions. At 91, he and his roadster ride have got to be cautious.” Trip from Commerce Township, Michigan to Ortonville in the 1956 Packard Caribbean Convertible formerly owned by the founder of Chic-fil-A, S Truett Cathy. Loaded 1956 Packard 400 which was owned by the Controller of Packard, found through an estate posting. It was located near the Packard plant in a gang infested area. MCP founding member Joel Ray and Dave Marold purchased and later sold to MCP member John Lauter. 1956 Packard Caribbean owned by Dave Marold. Taken in the late 70’s. It was the 3rd Caribbean built in 1956. Owned for 21 years and tried to buy back a couple of times from MCP member Ed Meurer Jr. Son Christopher is by the car and is now an MCP member.
Day 3
MCP Member Leon Dixon stands with Packard Panther-Daytona #2. THE actual car that set the 131 MPH record at Daytona Beach in 1954. Leon has driven this Panther, and this photo was taken at the PAC National held in Galena, IL a few years ago. MCP Member Rich Ray sent in a photo of his 1930 Packard 740 7-Passenger Touring taking his party of seven (five kids) for a ride around the neighborhood at their cottage on Lake Huron. MCP Member Van Nazarian created this display art for Tom Tuls, the owner of this 1931 Packard 840 roadster. Van photographed the car at the 2016 PAC National Meet in Traverse City MI. MCP Members Susan Cleereman and Joel Ray drove their 1956 Four Hundred hardtop to the Big Bear Lodge restaurant in Flat Rock today. Susan reported that a good meal was had by all!
Day 4
Sigurbjörn Helgason’s 1955 Packard Clipper Custom sedan was sold and delivered to Iceland in 1955, and was the only Packard imported new to Iceland that year. His great-uncle ordered it new and owned it for 26 years. Then Sigurbjörn bought it and has owned it for 39 years. The paint is mostly original, with some rust repair and minor repainting done about 1969-71. It’s still running well and Sigurbjörn enjoys driving it on good weather days! This 1934 Packard Dietrich 12 Convertible Victoria will likely be one of the most spectacular cars to participate in the Ten Days of Packard. The picture was taken at church this morning. Former MCP Directors, Neal and Lois Porter own this masterpiece. Here’s MCP Member Dave Dolby (in proper pandemic attire) and his 1956 Executive sedan again, this time at the Farmers Market held ever Saturday on the front lawn of the Packard Proving Grounds in Shelby Township. This 1947 Packard Super Clipper has not missed a Ten Days of Packard as the family always participates, but this is 2020, the year on the pandemic. No the owners are fine, but the car is undergoing some major work and is missed. MCP Members Roland & Kristyn Gray sent in these photos of pictures of their 1937 Packard 120 Touring Coupe, which they have nicknamed “Grand M.” The first four photos are just prior to their departure for their outing, and the next group of four are from Historic Linden and the Fenton Winery & Brewery. They took time out to enjoy some local wine, craft beer, and appetizers. They reported that there were lots of guests at the Fenton Winery & Brewery who enjoyed checking out Grand M, and asked questions about her and her heritage. Roland said that it was “a great evening to share our Packard with the community. On the way home we were joined by a 1930s Ford Model A.” Here are pictures of my first two Packards bought in the 60’s. The 1956 Patrician was loaded with everything but A/C. It was owned and scrapped because the transmission went out by the man who owned one of the two biggest hotels in Waterloo, Iowa. I bought it for $40. The Clipper is a 1955 Panama with coil springs and I bought it for $65 frozen in about 6 inches of ice in February or March. I was told the transmission was out, but I drove it for more than a year with a can of transmission medic. Also enclosed is a picture of my Dad’s 1956 Clipper Super and the transmission never went out on it. It is now down South somewhere. traffic jam in downtown Wyandotte today.
(Oak St and Biddle Ave.)MCP Assistant Executive Director Graham Kozak shared this photo of his 1948 Deluxe Eight Touring Sedan on a parts run for other car projects. Graham says, “Believe it or not, it’s the most stress-free and reliable car I own at the moment–though whether that says more about my questionable automotive choices or Packard engineering, I leave up to you to decide. More than a few times I’ve come out of the store to find someone snapping pictures of the car.” This 1930 Packard Custom Speedster is on display at Stahl’s Auto Collection, in Chesterfield, MI.
The 1930 Packard 734 Speedster was Packard’s answer to the high-performance sports car. Developed by Packard’s legendary engineer, Col. Jesse Vincent, the 734 combined an extensively modified Deluxe Eight 385 cid straight eight and 4-speed gearbox in a modified Standard Eight chassis, with a lightweight two-seat body to create a lightweight, nimble speedster capable of well over 100 mph as it came from the factory. Only 113 originals were built.
Take your own Packard out to Stahl’s to visit this special car! Thanks to Stahl’s employee and MCP Media Director Terri Coppens for sharing the photo and the background information!
Day 5
Here are pictures of MCP past Executive Directors Neal and Lois Porter ‘s award winning 1942 Packard Darrin Victoria. The picture with the top down was taken yesterday in downtown Lake Orion after eating at CJ’s and the other picture with the top up and Neal Porter in his zoot suit is older and was taken at the Packard Proving Grounds. This 1941 Packard 120 Convertible Coupe is on display at Stahl’s Auto Collection in Chesterfield, MI. Owned by the original purchaser’s family until 2000, it has been driven in each of the Great Race events since 2012, and has completed the race each time.
Take your own Packard out to Stahl’s to visit this special car! Thanks to Stahl’s employee and MCP Media Director Terri Coppens for sharing the photo and the background information!MCP Member Lois Porter sent in this photo of fellow MCP Member Bruce Blevins’ 1933 Packard Eight Convertible Victoria being driven on the Henry Joy Tour through Florida and Northern Georgia in November 2019. This particular photo was taken in Thomasville GA. This is the 1930 Packard 740 Phaeton that belonged to the late MCP Executive Director, Don Sommer. It now belongs to MCP members Cyndi (Don’s daughter) and Howard McLauchlan and the pictures were taken this weekend. I believe the red car is a 1953 Buick Skylark that they also own. Today at the building that used to be Quality Motors, Wyandotte’s Packard dealer at Fifth and Oak. 71 years ago some lucky guy Might have been taking delivery of his new ‘49 Packard in this very spot.
Day 6
Parked in downtown Wyandotte next to a Audi R-8 Spyder V-1, a future collectible, I would think. The MSRP on this model is over $183,000. I could probably buy 3 or 4 Packards like mine for that price! I noticed when standing between the cars that the roof of the Audi was lower than the top of my hood. Audi R-8 Spyder V 10, that is. This 1930 Packard 745 Deluxe Eight is on display at Stahl’s Auto Collection in Chesterfield, MI. Built on the 145-inch wheelbase chassis, only 1,789 Deluxe Eight models were made in 1930. The 4-passenger phaeton body was designed by Raymond Dietrich and built in-house at Packard’s own custom body studio.
Take your own Packard out to Stahl’s to visit this special car! Thanks to Stahl’s employee and MCP Media Director Terri Coppens for sharing the photo and the background information!The Jamaican Yellow and Dover White one I bought on our Bicentennial (July 4, 1976) and paid $317.76 for it. He wanted $300 plus the price of the ad. The car did not run, but had new front fenders. I thought I could get it running easily, but couldn’t. The guy who bought it got it running quickly. The Dover White and Black car ran well and was around $1,200, but I sold that after a couple years to buy a 1956 Caribbean convertible which I kept for 21 years. On Tuesday night, the Brady Smith family enjoyed a family outing to the Fenton A&W. No better way to do it than in a 1954 Patrician eight-passenger sedan!
Day 7
This 1940 Packard One-Twenty station wagon is on display at Stahl’s Automotive Foundation museum near New Baltimore MI.
Sebastian S. Kresge, the dime-store king, bought this Packard One-Twenty station wagon in 1940. The eight- cylinder One-Twenty was the workhorse of the Packard sales line-up from 1935 to 1940. As Packard’s luxury line lost ground to Cadillac in the mid-Thirties, and both lost ground to changing times, Packard entered a different market by producing the One Twenty. It may have compromised the prestige of the Packard name, but it also kept it alive and prosperous.
Originally, the One-Twenty was named for its wheelbase of 120 inches. The eight-cylinder engine produced 110 HP, and it had a top speed of about 85 mph. By 1940, the wheelbase was changed to 127 inches, but that year the horsepower was rated at 120, which was certainly fitting.
Packard had flirted with the station wagon body style on its junior cars in the middle of 1937, but production was crowded enough during the boom year, and the style was dropped. It was resurrected in 1940, when Packard had greater need to cater to market niches.
Before the war, station wagons were a symbol of country life. They were rugged and inexpensive, but nonetheless they suggested relaxed wealth. But by the 1950’s, station wagons lost their panache and became the most middle-class of conveyances. One indication of this is the use of metal bodywork. When Kresge bought his Packard station sedan, “woodies” were made of wood: mahogany and ash, with oak trim in the interior. The company recommended that the paneling be sanded and freshly varnished once a year. This was considered a job for a servant.
S. S. Kresge bought his One-Twenty station wagon to use on his 26-acre farm in Mountainhome, PA in the Pocono Mountains, not far from his birthplace. In 1953, Kresge donated the funds needed to build Kresge Hall at Harvard University’s School of Business. At the dedication ceremony, he was asked to speak. He approached the lectern and advised the students, “I never made a dime talking.” That was his whole speech. In the early 1960s, when Kresge’s five-and-dime stores evolved into the K Mart empire, Kresge oversaw the change. He didn’t retire as chairman of the board until he was 98 years old.
Kresge died in 1966 at the age of 99. His third wife, Clara Kresge sold the station wagon in 1974. At that time, it had 57,000 miles on the odometer. Stahl’s Automotive Foundation acquired the vehicle in 2000.
There were 28,138 vehicles built on the Packard One-Twenty chassis in1940, and less than 100 of them were given the station wagon body. Of that number, it is believed that fewer than 25 have survived today. Many woodie wagons suffered from lack of proper maintenance in their later years and simply rotted away.MCP Member Roland Gray sent us these pictures from the first Back to the Bricks Road Rally last June. He and his wife Kristyn drove Grand M, their 1937 Packard 120 Touring Coupe, in the event. Back to the Bricks has been using a picture of their Packard to promote their subsequent road rallies.
Almost 400 cars took part in the rally, which covered 180 miles. Roland reports that it was a great day for a cruise!MCP Member, former MCP Executive Director, and current Packard Motor Car Foundation Vice President Roger Luksik shared this photo with us. It’s his beautiful 1941 Packard One-Sixty convertible sedan at the picturesque Bonneyville Mills near Elkhart IN. MCP Member and PAC National President Craig Handley sent in this photo of his 1953 Convertible that had been enjoying the summer Up North in Traverse City until now. Fellow MCP Member Adam Hammer & Co. gave it a thorough mechanical restoration while it was visiting them. Craig says It now runs better than it did since he bought it 22 years ago! Joel Ray and Susan Cleereman took their 1956 Four Hundred out for a 50-mile round trip on August 19. They went to a Kiwanis picnic at Ford Field in Dearborn, which was a socially-distanced event — the first for the Dearborn Kiwanis in six months! A lot of the members liked the car and asked them a lot of questions. The day is half gone
And finally no rain
I think I’ll go out
For a Whopper Cheese Plain
— by Geo Hamlin, Clarksville MD
George’s fellow Marylander Edgar Allen Poe would have been proud of such prose, and he also would have been exceedingly jealous of the magnificent carriage that is George’s 1956 Caribbean convertible, one of 276 examples produced that year!Newer Packard owner Joe Smith has only had his 1927 Packard 533 coupe for about a month now, and he has yet to join MCP (hint hint hint! , but he already has a feeling like she is his soulmate! Joe has been enjoying taking his car everywhere he can during TDOP!
The first photo is from Yesterdays Antiques in Livonia, while the next four are from a classic car show at the Huron River Hunting & Fishing Club — his car even brought home two awards! The final photo is from a Wednesday night car show at the Merri-Bowl in Livonia.Former MCP Executive Director Neal Porter shared a picture of his 1934 Packard 12 Dietrich Victoria at Cook’s Dairy in Ortonville tonight.
Day 8
New MCP Members Pam and H. Lee Bacheldor drove their elegant 1937 Super 8 up to St. Clair MI for this photo in front of the beautiful and historic St. Clair Inn! Roland and Kristyn Gray recently drove their 1937 Packard 120 Touring Coupe up to Fenton High School for some family photos. Their twin daughters, Audrey and Abbey, are entering their senior year at Fenton High later this month, and have already been enrolled in GCI, and Mott College for a year. Their son Ayden will be a Sophomore at Fenton. Phil Schaefer of Indianapolis IN is the proud owner and driver of this 1941 Packard 180 LeBaron Sport Brougham, which was purchased new by his great aunt. It has been in the family for 79 years, and Phil has owned it for the last 22 years. MCP Member Roy Margenau sent in a couple of photos of his 1925 Packard Model 236 Eight, Sport Model. The car is mostly original. The original owner was the Dutch Ambassador to the United States. In 1928, he sold it to a young architect named Lorenzo Winslow who became the Architect of the White House in 1932. Roy has owned the car 10 years and has put about 14,000 miles on it. MCP Member Brady Smith’s 1954 Packard Clipper 5492 Touring Sedan spent nearly a year at Ross Miller’s shop for a bit of cosmetic freshening, and arrived back in Michigan just in time to sit in the garage through the Coronavirus lockdown. Brady says it sure was nice to have an excuse to drive it to work on Thursday! He left it parked out front all day long, and couldn’t resist stopping for a few glamour shots on the way home.
Day 9
PAC National’s Vice President – International Liaison George Hamlin shared another of his Packards with us, along with another work of poetry:
These rainy days made it real hard
To keep up with jobs in the yard
But since the sun’s back
I’ll head down the track
To Ace with the ol’ credit card
You could barely ask for a finer and more distinctive machine for running errands than George’s 1952 Packard Patrician ‘400,’ which featured new “Fashion-Keyed” interiors influenced by interior design maven Dorothy Draper!OK, I’ve been “inspired” (?) by George Hamlin’s contributions, so I want to try this poetry thing too! How about a haiku?
Faded pink splendor
A Caribbean flower
Waits to bloom again
— by Kevin Luedtke, MCP Executive DirectorFormer MCP Executive Director Joel Ray and his wife Susan J. Cleereman are sharing pictures of their 1956 Caribbean Convertible that Joel found well over 30 years ago and started a total restoration in the last few years. The restoration is nearing completion and here are a couple of the almost finished pictures taken at their house. Notice the beautiful optional Packard wire wheel hubcaps which I like better than the wire wheels on mine. When it is finished I am sure it will be one of the finest in the county, if not the finest. MCP Member Dr. Charles Colombo made use of his beautiful 1942 Packard Deluxe Eight convertible coupe for a morning doughnut run! This 1932 Packard dual cowl phaeton is normally on display at Stahl’s Automotive Foundation museum near New Baltimore MI. Recently, however, the car was brought to the Emerald Theater in Mt. Clemens, where it took part in a music video shoot for jazz flutist Alexander Zonjic!
Take your own Packard out to Stahl’s to visit this special car! Thanks to Stahl’s employee and MCP Media Director Terri Coppens for sharing the photo and the background information!MCP Member, former MCP Executive Director, and current Packard Motor Car Foundation Vice President Roger Luksik shared this photo of his 1941 Packard One-Twenty club coupe in front of the Packard Proving Grounds Repair Garage. MCP Member Keith Hensley and his restored 1939 Packard 120 convertible, makes friends with Ed Michol from the hot rod community, who has just completed a 1941 Packard rest-o-rod from a parts car. We took our 1933 Packard Super 8 Town Sedan to dinner at Poole’s Tavern in downtown Northville tonight and got a prime parking spot right on the corner. It turns out that this was the perfect spot to park to meet the goals of TDOP in that more than 100 people gathered around the car in the hour and 10 minutes we were eating outside. That’s the goal, to get people to see, look at Packards. As I sat down the people near us asked what kind of a car it was and I asked what did they think and they said, Rolls Royce. The happy faces were amazing and hearing someone say with reverence’s and excitement, “IT’S A PACKARD”
was music to my ears. This car belonged to MCP member Ed Meurer, Jr. for many years before I bought it about a year ago. Also attached are pictures I took while I was cleaning it up.
Day 10
Today we have a Special Delivery from Maryland!
It’s such a nice day, we can check the PO box
And the postal clerk lets out a wail:
There’s no one hurt here but the car is a dear
And the driver is sure First Class male
–by George HamlimMCP Member Erick Marold drove his 1956 Packard Caribbean Convertible to brunch at Joseph’s Coney Island in Northville where he met other family members and his Dad who brought his 1933 Packard Super 8 Town Sedan.
After that they drove to Rotary Park which is across from the restored former Petz Brothers Studebaker dealership which sold Packards after the merger with Packard.
BONUS Day 11
small car show tonight at Blue Sky Drive In in Romulus.
I don’t know what if it was the rain or the heat that kept the crowd away
But it still fun to get the Packard out!
BONUS Day 12
MCP Members Mike & Kathy Corrigan recently exercised their exquisite 1930 Packard 745 Sport Phaeton, and stopped to take some pictures in front of the Milford Historical Museum. The museum is located in a Greek Revival house that was built in 1853. MCP Members Kevin & Kelly Kurkowski had their 1954 Packard Caribbean out for a spin around Milford MI recently, and stopped to take some pictures in front of the Milford Historical Museum. The museum is located in a Greek Revival house that was built in 1853. MCP Member Barbara Anderson drove her lovely 1927 Packard 343 Touring around Midland MI last week. She sent us a photo that her husband took of her with some friends just hanging out – socially distant, of course – around the Packard. She also took some other friends for a ride through town, and they were waving at everyone and asking Barbara to sound the horn! She reports that it was great fun, with lots of laughter from friends and bystanders.
BONUS Day 13
MCP Member Stephen Burke recently drove his 1936 Packard 120-B convertible coupe over to the Cueter Chrysler dealership in Ypsilanti. He told them that he wanted to trade it in for a new truck! Here it is sitting in the used car lot! We are pleased to report that Stephen brought both the truck and car back home!
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ShareMCP Board Member Dick Roth send us this photo of his wife Connie with their 1946 Packard Custom Super Clipper in the parking lot of their church. MCP Member Extraordinaire Dr. Charles Blackman celebrated his 95th birthday last Sunday in a very Packard way! He took delivery of his latest acquisition, an original 1941 Packard One-Twenty coupe with factory installed air conditioning! It’s a very stylish ride, and the air conditioning actually works! Photo courtesy of Dick Roth.
BONUS Day 14
BONUS Day 15
BONUS Day 16
MCP Member Dirk van den Muijsenberg uses his lovely 1929 Packard Model 626 pretty much every day for cruising throughout the summer, weather permitting. As Dirk says, “Such a stunning design!” Hunter Kline, one of our Packard friends from eastern West Virginia, is also one of our younger enthusiasts at 38. He had his first ride in a Packard at age 8 and drove his first Packard at 12. At that point he was hooked and bought his first Packard at age 15! Over the years he’s owned over 50 products from the Master Motor Builders on East Grand Boulevard, and still buys when he can, and continues to amass a nice parts collection.
Hunter traces his interest in Packards to a neighbor and close family friend who was a Packard dealer in Romney WV. William B. Slonaker later became a state senator in WV. The 1956 Caribbean (this photo is of a twin to his car) was owned by the Slonaker family until 2008, has its original paint and is in excellent condition with 61k miles. Hunter helped Mr. Slonaker’s widow, Ila, with yardwork and maintenance chores until she passed at age 98. The family then sold the car to Hunter.