My grandfather retired in 1955. His retirement present to himself was a Packard Patrician, I remember the last ride in the car was in 1969 shortly before his passing. I remember walking down to his garage in the backyard. Begging him to take me for a ride with my grandmother. He always wanted a Packard and he lost everything in the Great Depression and took him many years to save the money to buy it. Thank you for posting this to step back in time and remember the great times I had in his car.

This car is a beauty. The 55 and 56 were both great cars. You can't buy a standard automobile this big but you can buy pickups and SUVs bigger than this. That's crazy. If I had the money I'd drive cars like this all the time. No bucket seats, plastic bumpers and front wheel drive.

I grew up in the era of the Packard I remember seeing them on the roads and getting a sneak peak at the new models. The 50s were an unbelievable time for cars, all cars. Thank you for sharing this story of the Packard great job creating the history the history.

As someone who is officially considered "middle-aged" and who had grandparents who turned 60 in the 1950s, young people today just don't understand how advanced these cars were and the prestige they had. If your parent was a teenager or young adult in the 50s, you may have heard stories about seeing these in person and it was always some bigshot who had real dough to his name that owned it. Most buyers of these when new, didn't have to finance them, they paid cash and this car was almost $5000 new. Today, car buyers typically lease because most people today can't afford to pay cash or finance to own. For a car that is 65 years old now, it has held up better than most cars made in the past 20 years.

Back in the days of this car, people didn't drive like they do today. It was an outing to take the car out and go for a drive. They also didn't have nearly the cars they have on the road today. I loved the styles of cars out in the 1950s-to the early 1970s. Cars had color choices, fabric choices, engine choices, etc. Today, it's grey, black or beige interiors and a handful of blasé exterior colors. I don't understand the obsession of going from 0-60 in three seconds? Where are you going, the next red light/stop sign? The speed limit on the open road is 70. I wonder what they would say if they drove one of those early Falcons/Novas/Valiant's with the tiny six? You were lucky it it got to 60 by the time you got where you were going. I'm glad I got to drive these cars when they were new and experience the solid feeling of a pleasant ride. PS I miss plaid seats and shag carpeting too.

This was a time when cars had style, class and beauty, unlike the cookie cutter vehicles we are stuck with today. I owned a '50 model Packard when I was in High School and it is still one of my fondest memories of that time of my life. There was just something magical about the sound of that big straight 8 engine. If Packard were still making cars today I would dare say they would be the standard all car manufacturers would be striving to copy!

The narrator knows little about Packards. Contrary to what he said, the 1955 and 1956 Patricians DID NOT have leaf springs! Instead, they had full length torsion bars connecting the front to the rear in such a way that lean on corners was greatly reduced even though the car road very smoothly. They had 2 additional torsion bars which were automatically electrically adjusted to keep the car level regardless of how it was loaded. The 2-speed Ultramatic did limit the performance, just as the 2-speed Powerglide limited performance for Chevrolets and the 2-speed Powerflyte limited performance for Plymouths, Dodges, DeSotos, and Chryslers. Note that the Packard Ultramatic transmission, introduced in 1949, was the first automatic transmission to have a lock-up torque converter. The Borg Warner automatic transmission, introduced on the 1951 Studebaker, was the second automatic transmission to have a lock-up torque converter. No other cars had them until Chrylser re-introduced them about 1978! And it was many years after that before most automatic transmissions had a lock-up torque converter. Packard introduced the part-throttle kick-down in 1954. General motors didn't have a part-throttle kick down until 1956 when it was introduced on the Hydramatic. In 1978 I bought a 1955 Packard Caribbean convertible. When I was having the wheels aligned, there was also a late model Rolls Royce in the alignment shop; my Packard idled much more quietly. Packard was the only independent luxury car manufacturer to survive the Great Depression. Cadillac and Lincoln survived only because they were made by much larger companies, i.e., Ford and General Motors, which also made cheaper cars.

A neighbor of mine owned a 1934 Packard Custom Special Order - the back seat had a built in bar - yes, a bar with a lit mirrored background, drop down secretary style tableau from the rear of the front seat. It contained three Waterford crystal decanters with sterling silver chained labels denoting Whiskey, Gin and Rye on one side - the other side had eight high and low ball matching glasses. In the middle was a crystal ice bucket with sterling tongs. The center of the table area was green felt. The whole caboodle was surrounded by tiny high polished brass bars to keep things from moving around too much. Ah - drinking and driving? Well, yes. It was quite common. Least we forget this came out the year after Prohibition ended. Fashionable luxury.

Dude. There's nothing crude about a Packard. They are still the best car in the world!

ask the man who owns one---one of the best slogans ever

I was lucky enough to own, though briefly, a Packard. True luxury that comes only with craftmanship.

My father had Packards until I was 12. They cruised like yachts, looked elegant, and if you drove down an interstate at about 60 you could nurse 20 mpg out of them on a good day.(Your big new SUV most likely gets worse mileage.) I'd love to have this car or one like it - something nice that I wouldn't be afraid to take out and drive. (And those '55-'56 cathedral taillights are exquisite; many a used-up Packard sacrificed its tail lights to hot rodders who ludicrously put them on tricked out Fords, Chevys or Plymouths.) You've got a bit of fact-checking to do, AutoMoments, but this was a most enjoyable video anyway. Keep up the good work; it's good to see people in subsequent generations understand and appreciate these monumental vehicles.

My father has a 56 Patrician with push button transmission and automatic load levelers in the rear. The car will ride level no matter how much junk is in the trunk. The car is all original in and out.

A Luxurious automobile The Packard fabrics and all aspects of the thoughtful design elements merge to create a strong dynamic car that was elegantly appointed as a feast to the eyes

I cant stop looking at that crack in the left side window. "Its painful to see....but we cant look away..."

Excellent! I'm a big Porsche fanatic but a few years ago a guy showed up with a perfect '49 Packard two door fastback with the inline-8 engine; That thing stole the show and I would love to buy it from him but he won't part with it. That is the kind of car to drive on Sunday mornings to a cars and coffee.

Beautiful car. This is what people expected in big cars. Float down the road and don't feel the bumps.

Beautiful, one of the best looking cars ever made. It was also very comfortable and smooth.

My parents bought a new 1956 Patrician late in 1955, which looked very similar to your test car, except the 6" wide stainless steel and black "stripe" went all the way to the tail light. It also had their version of torsion bar suspension. Full length, front and rear, and interconnected. If you put a weight in the trunk, in a few seconds, a motor would start at the center point of the system, and level the car again. Remove the weight, and sure enough, it would level the car again. There was a switch under the left side of the dash to disable this feature, as people (especially kids like myself)would have to try it, sitting on the bumper for a ride, and running the battery down. The 1956 models also had the new Ultramatic 3 speed trans with a six button pod mounted on the steering column where you might reach for the standard transmission lever. This may have been available in earlier models as an added feature. That I can't tell you for certain, as our car apparently had every available option on it. Unfortunately, I didn't turn 16 'till 1958, and I wasn't given the use of the Packard for some reason! Ours was the same shade of green as the test car, but with a cream color below the 6" strip, and on top as I recall.

I loved the _Easamatic Power Brake_ pedal. How they fitted all those words on a pedal is crazy. Some people get irritated at youngsters reviewing old cars built before they were a sty in their daddy’s eye but I enjoy them. Culture shaped them the way they are and much of what we know is not taught but experienced. Living through an experience gives millions of nuanced pieces of information-the sights, sounds, smells, what song was on the radio at the time, who you were with, what stupid thing you were doing, etc. I see the big back seat of that Packard and my mind instantly races back to Kathi and the drive-in movies! Yes, this kid hasn’t a clue but that’s ok, I enjoy watching how today’s culture has shaped his values. Imagine how many kids today wouldn’t recognize what a dial tone is. There’s a hilarious video of two teens trying to figure out how to use a dial telephone. Everything back then was _-O-Matic!_

Packards of this era had torsion bar suspensions. Back in the day, when you had money you bought a Packard.

I remember the torsion bar suspension, hydraulic self-leveling, first air conditioning ('39 I think), limited-slip differentials, hydraulic (silent) window lifts, seat controls, etc. We had a Caribbean and loved it.

I work at BMW, but this is really a great report about a stylish car from another era. Difficult to think for me that this was a normal car at the time: So big, so heavy, the consumption, etc.

Well done. Great to recall this bygone era.

we own a 1956 Packard Carribbean -(among others in the Clipper Class)- Its main short coming is the Brake system. It has push button shift. A little slow off the line, once the second 4 barrel carburator kicks in you are out front of everyone else. It takes some time to slow from 120MPH in a 6000 lb car. It had seat belts installed early on in its life. It had power levelers,torsion bars and gives an odd kind of floating ride. Ours has a manuel switch to adjust the level . Everything is electric radio selection, antennas, power seats and windows. No A/C -Convertibles " do not need A/C".

Great job man. Love the honest approach.

Thanks for the great video. I have loved Packards most of my life ... my grandmother owned one in the 40's. Really enjoyed your presentation.

My first car! It had been in storage and it took me a year to locate parts and repair, but god what a car!

Style was the focus back in the day versus efficiency and function today. She is a beauty and the power plant is a beast.

I clearly remember this car. I remember it was 1955, the last I saw and admired this barge. I didn't know much about the mechanicals but I knew it was elegant and those who owned one were among the elite. Them were the days. 😉

Man, you can't beat these types of cars for the Drive-in movie theater!

I bought one just like this in 1966, it was the same color as this one, I paid 50 dollars for it, and drove it until the transmission went out on it,

The Packard you tested had a Self-Leveling, Full Torsion-Bar Suspension system (not big shocks), and they had an Automatic Transmission (The Ultramatic) in 1950, and its development roots go back to 1935! You did a good job for the most part, but please, do your homework. Also, with the V8's, Nash and Hudson (AMC), also used them (with Ultramatics) in the 1955/1956 cars, and Studebaker used the 352 and Ultramatic in the 1956 Hawks. Otherwise, show for Packard.

My father had one new in 1955 , a two door model and he always said it was the best motorcar he ever purchased!!! Alas all that is left now is photogtaphs, ive no idea what became of the car ' but I always regret not asking dad more about what he did with it !

That’s a beautiful thing! Nephew nearly bought a 55 Clipper in South Africa a few years back but events got in the way. I still think about that car.

Absolutely great look at the 55 Packard... great insight and easy to listen to narration 👍 thank you for this KZfaq post!

A number of reasons to like these cars. You can get in without banging your head; the ride was soft and comfortable for passengers even if handling was sedate. Plenty of leg room. Powerful engines make for long life. "There's no substitute for piston area..... "

Less known fact for Americans that the Packard lived on until 1981 at no other country, but the Soviet Union. They copied the design (some sources state, that they bought it) of the 1955 Patrician and built it as the near-top-of-the-line state limousine, called GAZ-13 Chaika. Altough it looked like a lengthened Packard, it was technically a mix of different American designs. It had a Cadillac-like X-frame and a Chrysler-clone pushbutton automatic transmission and engine. The bony rode on coil springs in front and leafs in back instead of the Packard`s torsion bars. GAZ built about 3000 examples between 1959 and 1981.

Love this generation of cars . Thank you

For years walking to school as a kid -- I passed the twin shown here parked in the driveway 105 St. Loved just looking at it. Preferred it to my boring classes...

What a beauty! This snooty youngster just doesn't recognize a true work of art.

Nice, timeless car, i love it!

Another awesome video by Joe Lugo. Thank you for sharing your passion while educating us.

this channel is my fav. we need more videos!!!! thank you for all you do

old? yes. kinda outdated? yes. crude? no, just no.

Btw... you can put a gm 700R4 in these. You’ll get all the nice power out of the engine and better fuel mileage. Takes a bit of work to get it all hooked up, but well worth the time and money to drive it every weekend.

This was great! Love the history and filming. Please continue to post more.

My parents owned a 1953 Clipper from 1955 to 1970. My dad described the handling and steering as vastly better than other cars of the 1950s - "a Chevy steered like a brick outhouse". I Remember the Clipper as being very quiet.

Meanwhile, the factory it was built in still stands, 63 years after the last car rolled off the line, overtaken by nature.

Though not a fan of 2-speed automatics, all luxury cars, outside of Cadillac, in 1955 and 1956, used functunally, 2-speed automatic transmissions. Yes, the Lincolns had 3-speed automatics, but in normal driving, it functioned as a 2-speed, starting in 2nd and shifting to 3rd, unless the selector lever was placed in "Low" or the accelerator was pushed to the floor from a starting stop. Studebaker continued using this feature on their automatic equipped cars well into the 60's, even in the supercharged Avanti's. In racing, even today, a 2-speed Powerglide is the gearbox of choice. What Packard had that most other car manufacturers didn't(outside of Studebaker and other makes that used Borg-Warner or Detroit Gear automatics) was a direct-drive lock-up torque converter. This was useful in putting the power to the ground for maximum fuel economy and allowed the addition of an add-on overdrive unit that was effective. Totally designed in-house, Packard's "Ultramatic" was ahead of it's time. Problems occurred from a teething process and improper useage of the "Ultramatic". A major mistake that people did was to run the transmission in the "High" position(like the non-shifting Buick DynaFlow), which tended to overheat the fluid and burning up the transmission. The transmission failures were NOT due to the engines overpowering the transmissions. Even Nash recognized the Packard quality. In 1955, Nash wanted to put a V-8 in it's Ambassador, so they chose to put the Packard 352 V-8 AND with the Ultramatic transmission. Packard also used this same transmission behind their 374 V-8, even with 2 4-barrel carbs. No matter what transmission you have, the get-up and go is influenced by raw engine power and gear ratio in the drive axle.

Very nice assessment of the Packards of the fifties. It's always fun to see these machines out on the open road. Good job.

Thank you for posting this .

Charles Starkweather hit 110 M.P.H . in a "56 Packard while attempting to elude police in Douglass Wyoming shortly before his capture.

To decry this automobile and others from this era is to miss the intent and the context in which they were built.

My first car... it had been sitting for years and, although most things rubber had to be replaced,, it 0ran fine. I had a lot of fun with the load levelers and my high school friends loved it!

My GrandFather had two of these Packard.They were a blast.He ever had StudeBaker Packard.They were fun to drive even back in 75.

You mentioned that the power felt like got lost in the transmission. Maybe you used the transmission it it's high gear start only, and it seams on 3:50 if you selected the left side of 'D' the car starts in high gear and never changes, like a Buick dynaflow which makes it sluggish off the line, and it can be exacerbated if the car is equipped with the supper tall economy 2.87 axle ratio. To make full use of the transmission 2 gears you must select the right side of 'D' which starts in low gear and automaticly changes to high, making for much faster take-off.

Maby I missed it but did you mention the most revelutionary torsion bar suspension ever invented.. no springs front and rear..

I want to compliment you on your wit and sense of humor

This car is a beauty! I love the styling of these old Packards. The engine and horn sound great!

Excellent presentation. You did not mention the torsion bar self leveling suspension. It was ions ahead of the rest. The ride was very smooth and quiet almost a complete floating sensation. Also the ultramatic transmission had a lock-up torque converter 30 years before the rest of the industry. Packard was always a car like no other,

do a show on the Studebaker Avanti ,the real 1963 car of the future that led the way

Just discovered this channel, subscribed immediately. Really good work!

this is a well edited and produced piece thanks

congratulations on one of the best....in so many ways....classic car videos ever created.

Packard was saddled with really bad management plus they took a bath on their aircraft engine plant thanks to Secretary of Defense and former GM President Charlie Wilson. They were also hit with having to make their own car bodies after the forced sale of Briggs Body Co. to Chrysler due to inheritance taxes after the death of the senior Mr. Briggs. Having driven a 1956 Patrician on numerous occasions with radial tires and a the stock torsion bar suspension I found the handling to be excellent especially when compared to the 1956 Lincolns and Cadillacs - the Cadillac was a death trap right off the showroom floor with its four coil springs that seem to have been designed by a mattress company. The death of Packard came as a great relief to GM whose Cadillac had always played second fiddle to the Senior Packards. The arrogance of monopoly capitalism infected the big three especially GM which is what has brought us to where we are today.

Your classic car reviews are the most well thought out ive ever seen on youtube! Keep it up!

How I'd love to have that Patrician to drive around today! They were huge and comfortable, and two speeds are fine, driven properly!

This was style. Cars of this era had panache. That's not to say that safety was unimportant. Unless you're suicidal, or homicidal, safety should be imperative. That being said, style, personality, luxury, performance and panache are also important.

Dangerous? Rather ride the family around in that packard then a brand new econobox

This is awesome. Thanks for posting.

Love how well executed this video is

Packard also offered a push-button automatic transmission around this time

I like big, dangerous and gas guzzling, thank you.

Fantastic video and well made!

thanks for the effort and the sharing. thumbs up.

The Gremlin was popular for its styling .

As concerning the question about what would Pakards look like if the company survived to this day, I don't know, but Roy Gullickson's "1998 Pakard" prototype seems to me a pretty good guess. In any case, it's a fairly safe bet that the "tombstone grill" motif would have survived. What I do know is that I heard years ago that late 1950's Pakards would have resembled the 1958-1960 Lincolns, and that Ford bought the design plans for the "next generation" Pakards when Pakard went out of business.

Very good review and test drive of an historic car. Thanks for this video

The 1956 Packard (while awesome) was basically a very heavy facelift of their existing car, including the wrap around windshield, because Packard didn't have the money for anything more. Cadillacs had a new body in 1954. There's a reason for those wide ribbed chrome panels on the side - part of the disguise. By that point the body was noticeably taller overall and higher at the belt line (window sill) than other cars, making it obviously old fashioned. Notice the old rounded trunk lid at 5:44 between the new rear fenders.

Glad that they don't build big cars? So we should all drive trucks and so called SUVs? Dangerous? Big cars are dangerous? No, it is the nut the behind the wheel who is dangerous.

What a sad end to a company with such a proud record of quaity vehicles, and let's not forget that when England needed a US company to produce Merlin engines, the one company they felt had the right management to ensure quality, it chose Packard..

My dad had two Packard Clippers, a ‘52 and a ‘54. He was a traveling salesman who logged a lot of windshield time between sales calls. He loved the Packards for the cloud-soft ride and the cavernous trunk that easily held all his sample cases.

The ad at the end was both relevant and informative. Let's hope other people who make videos can follow this example.

Extremely well presented classic car short. Witty, informative & accurate.

Please, test more cars from 1950s...

thank you,love Packard s,the quality,luxury roomy family cars.

I think this is actually a balanced and thoughtful assessment of the car. I was initially miffed at the characterization of crudeness, but had to admit I was just shaking my cane against facts. My first car was a 15-year old 1955 Patrician. I loved its handling and ride, but that was then, and this is now. 45 years after I owned it, and 60 years after it was built, I don't flatter myself that my Outback wouldn't run rings around it, and do so while feeling much more secure. Though the featured car is obviously not in optimal tune, its drive train in need of refreshing and its tire squealing easily fixed with radials, you can't argue the point of crudity from the tester's experience. We accepted the kind of handling these cars offered and taxed their capabilities at our peril. Many fewer people die in traffic accidents now than did in 1955, and it's not just because of airbags and seat belts. If you try to drive one of these luxocruisers with anything approaching even a conservative approach in today's idiom, you'll be off the road with the steering wheel knob cracking your sternum. They have to be carefully guided, rather than steered around turns, and their power brakes will suddenly grab and pitch you forward... To meet that knob again. Though the full length torsion bars were hi tech back then, and the standard electric load leveler a great touch, American manufacturers gave up nearly all in pursuit of horsepower to the detriment of handling. Plus, we complain bitterly about computer controls, but forget the stink and rattle of an out of tune carburetor. Cars weren't better then. They were arguably more honest, if all you wanted to do was get down the road. But they were offered for sale with an unacceptable disregard for safety. Again, just look at that stupid steering wheel knob.

How about 50's Desoto

And no Check Engine Light.

Its nice to see the history of great cars you post to your channel. The other day I asked my young son in law what is a Cord and he told me you plug It in and comes in up to 100 FT links . Its sad that lots of young people of today have no knowledge of the great classics. Yes LOL, I am afraid to ask him what a KAISER is because he would probably say its a Dinner Roll !

FINALLY!! a great video about packard!!!

So, you are pontificating and calling those cars "crude" because they are not computers on wheels? They were useful in their day. In 30 years from now other more "enlightened geeks" will make fun of you and call today's cars a piece of junk. People survived without iPhones, GPS, on-board computers and all that makes you so proud of being of your generation. But guess who invented all those gadgets? Not geeks like you, that's for sure. They were already "old farts". Just remember that. If you want to create a good car show you'd better keep your bias at home. Talk about the characteristics of the car, not about what you think compared to your ideal of a modern car. We don't care about your comparisons because we already know that story.

I wish they still made them like that I don't care onsite safety I mean what are the chances of you crashing if you crash o well I die I won't know it

I actually start restoring Packards at my new job starting tuesday! Funny you mention the parts availability... yes, its difficult. We make our own parts and we have guys remanufacturing fuel pumps and water pumps. This experience (providing I learn quickly) will be great for me as an AMC guy because parts are rare for those as well.

Fantastic video! I want to own a Packard now! Such a beautiful car!

Beautiful car reviewed by a snowflake results as expected

bullshit they drove great he doesnt know what he talking about I owned one

Love your videos!

This car makes me want to like this video 100 times!