1953 Packard Caribbean Custom Convertible

This 1953 Packard Caribbean Model 2678 is number 688 of 750 examples built. It had a base price of $5,209 and was a custom-built, two-door convertible. Power is from an eight-cylinder L-head engine that produces 180 horsepower. It has a single exhaust, rear-wheel drive, Ultramatic transmission, two-speed torque converter with lock-up, power steering and brakes, power seats, windows, and antenna, and an AM radio with a signal seek. There is a twenty-gallon fuel tank and the car average 11/15 mpg. Top speed is achieved at around 100 mph and it goes from zero-to-sixty in about 17 seconds. This car is painted in Matador Maroon with a white top and matching seat bolsters. It was factory installed (made by Hudelson - Whitebone Company) with a Continental kit.

The Caribbean was an outgrowth of the 1952 Pan American Show/Concept car and was designed to compete against Cadillac's Eldorado (in 1953 it outsold the Eldo 750 to 532). Packard shipped partially completed convertibles to custom car builder Mitchell Bentley Corp. in Ionia, Michigan where they were transformed into the Caribbean and then completed. All engineering and mechanics are pretty much standard Packard. The open wheels and tires, undercoated sides, hood scoop, and extended rear fenders and tail plus inset continental tires are unique to these cars. The beltline even mimics the famous 'Darrin Dip' design elements.

This particular car has about 75,000 miles since new. It was purchased from the estate of a long-time Packard collector (it was 1 of 4 Caribbean's he had) who didn't like it and only drove it 2,000 miles in 28 years. It took a year of driving to get the engine cleared out after being so dormant, but it now runs in the true Packard tradition.

There were four standard colors, and this example is finished in Matador Maroon (it was repainted in the 1970s). The Maroon and white leather interior is the original. The Packard Registry estimates there are about 88 of these cars remaining.

With its clean lines, many consider the 1953 version to be the best-looking and most collectible of the 4 years the models were offered.