1953 Packard Woody Station Wagon

High bid of $50,000 at 2013 Russo & Steele - Newport Beach. (did not sell)
The Packard Automobile Company was founded in 1899 and remained in business until 1958. It was founded by James Ward Packard, his brother William Doud Packard and their partner, George Lewis Weiss, in the city of Warren, Ohio.

The company would produce memorable and inspiring vehicles in the pre-World War II era. After the Second World War, Packard emerged in excellent financial condition. They resumed civilian car production in late 1945 as 1946 models by updating their 1942 models. The postwar Packards sold well, though they were not without their problems. One complaint was that it was hard to distinguish expensive models from lower-priced models, and from sixes or eights. Packard was focusing on selling toward the middle and lower-priced market instead of more expensive - and more profitable - models. They even tried to enter the taxi cab and fleet car market. The reality was that Packard was just not big enough to challenge the Big Three. As a result, Packard's image as a luxury brand was further diluted. Packard began losing buyers and could not find enough prospects for the lesser models to compensate.

For 1953, Packard offered a range of models in a variety of body styles, but not a station wagon. This 1953 Packard Woody Station Wagon is the only one in existence and was built based on an original styling model from Briggs Body Manufacturers. The car has been on display at the Packard Museum in Dayton, Ohio.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2013