1951 Packard 200 news, pictures, and information

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Standard Sedan

This car is as campaigned by French driver Jean Trevoux in the 1951 Carrera Panamericana II in November of 1951. Trevoux won the first leg of the race, from Tuxtla Gutierrez to Oaxaca, outright, with a speed of 78.54 mph, and came in fifth overall in the race, with a total time of 22:22:17, only one hour 24-minutes and 24 seconds off the winning time for the entire eight day event. Pablo Merrigan was a teenage member of Trevoux's crew in 1951, and in 1995 completed the restoration of this car so as to be able to compete in the then-re-established Carrera Panamericana, in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999, Bob Signom, founder and curator of America's Packard Museum in Dayton, Oh, campaigned this Packard in that event, finishing second one year and third another in the 'Original PanAm' class for unmodified cars. The car was donated to the museum by Dr. Donald Turner, of Dayton, and is a part of the Museum's permanent collection.

The Packard 200 was produced from 1951 through 1952 and was the company's entry level vehicle at the time. The car rested on a short 122 inch wheelbase and was powered by a 327 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine that produced 135 horsepower. The Series 250 was very similar, except it was powered by a 327 cubic-inch eight-cylinder engine that raised horsepower to 150.

The Packard 200 was available as a two-door Business Coupe, two-door club sedan, and a four-door, six-passenger sedan. Prices ranged from $2300 through $2470 on the Standard Series. A Deluxe Line was available which added chrome wheel rings and turn indicators. Body styles available was four-door sedan and two-door Club Sedan.

These entry-level Packard's were similar in design to the larger, 127-inch wheelbase, Packard 300 and Packard Patrician 400. The larger cars had a cormorant hood ornament and horizontal tail lights while the junior series had vertical tail lights.

Standard equipment on the Series 200 was a spare tire and jack set, front and rear bumper guards, dual horns, and two sun visors. Optional equipment included full-wheel covers and white-wall tires.

The Packard 200 and 250 models were later replaced/renamed as the Clipper Special and Clipper Deluxe. James J. Nance had been responsible for this change in an effort to spin-off a new company that would focus on these junior level cars. This would regain the Packard name as a producer of luxury, sophisticated, and elegant automobiles. Not to say that the 200 and 250 did not live up to the Packard reputation, but it did dilute the exclusivity of the Packard brand.

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