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Hal Hermann and his wife had sent their last child off to college in Ohio and needed something to fill the void. Years before, Hermann had owned several antique cars, but when the family came, the cars went. What better time to get an old car, thought Hermann.
He’s always had a soft spot in his heart for the independents – cars made by manufacturers other than the Big Three. In the autumn of 1995, he went to the annual gathering of antique cars in Hershey, Pa., to see what he could see.
A 1957 Packard caught his eye and he concluded, “A supercharged sedan, that’s a pretty neat thing.” However, he didn’t act on the car and returned home.
Back in 1956, a total of 4,809 Packards were built with all but 869 designated as Packard Clipper four-door sedans. The remaining 869 were station wagon models.
Hermann then delved into the Packard Automobile Club directory and began telephoning owners of 1957 Packards to inquire if their cars might be for sale. He discovered some of the cars were already sold, or they were halfway rusted away. Some were nice, but the owners didn’t want to sell.
In Jackson, Tenn., Hermann struck pay dirt. A man with a taupe and arctic white 1957 Packard Clipper with a Flight-O-Matic transmission, power steering, power brakes, tinted glass, padded visors, heater and radio was ready to sell. After looking over the pictures the owner sent, Hermann said, “I bought it off the pictures.”
Hermann anxiously awaited his acquisition, and when the rust-free car rolled off the trailer he couldn’t believe his good fortune. The paint was slightly faded, some of the chrome was pitted and multiple minor engine leaks needed attention. The upholstery had a few tears, Hermann recalls, but was serviceable. “It was just worn out,” he said. More importantly, Hermann said, “there were prodigious hunks of chrome hanging on the fenders.” To a ’50s kind of guy, that’s what’s important.
Hermann noticed the odometer had registered about 68,000 miles when the car was delivered. Although the Packard was in good condition, the new owner decided to make everything as perfect as possible.
The McCulloch-supercharged, 289-cubic-inch V-8 engine was overhauled, along with the Flight-O-Matic transmission.
The designers really did do a fine job of transforming a Studebaker into a Packard. Just think, in 1957 the car featured two-speed electric wipers with a foot-actuated windshield washer pump to keep the wraparound windshield clear.
The engine and transmission were overhauled and a vintage dash top was recovered and reupholstered. A better engine hood replaced the original and the arctic white portion of the car was repainted.
Packard Clipper design influences from the past are evident throughout the car. The Clipper ships wheel emblem can be found in the center of the grille, on the wheel covers, on the “C” pillar, covering the trunk lid lock, and on the hub of the steering wheel.
Hermann estimates the purchase price of his car in 1957 at the Valdosta, Ga., dealership where it was sold at about $3,900. Even today, few automobiles can match the combination of a 3,570-pound luxury sedan riding on a 120.5-inch wheelbase propelled by 275-horsepower backed up by a McCulloch supercharger. “It’s a darn nice road car,” Hermann says with satisfaction.
– Vern Parker, Motor Matters
Copyright, Motor Matters, 2016
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