You Can Still Buy a New Packard Motorcar...

[Midpack]

Watched a brief piece about Packard (cars) on TV this morning, they outsold Cadillac for decades before WWII. The broadcast said someone is trying to restore the marque, so I Googled to see what they were up to nowadays.

I'm speechless, but judge for yourself.

Packard Motor Car Company :: Home

 

[Keim]

I don't like the exterior design. Reminds me of the "bubblicious" mid 90s Ford Taurus.

The fit and finish and craftsmanship look excellent in the pics.

 

[JoeWras]

Watched a brief piece about Packard (cars) on TV this morning, they outsold Cadillac for decades before WWII. The broadcast said they were trying to restore the marque, so I Googled to see what they were up to nowadays.

I'm speechless, but judge for yourself.

Packard Motor Car Company :: Home

It reminds me a bit of the old Avanti days, but this is much nicer.

Still, what's under that cover? Surely it is some standard parts re-branded, no?

I used to be crazy about cars. Still am somewhat, but I am so damn cheap I only read and dream.

 

[imoldernu]

Coincident... This past Sunday, I took these pics at our Amboy IL Depot Days Car Show...about 800 cars in this little town of 2400 people.

The Packard has special meaning to me as along with fellow college freshmen, in 1955, we were among the first to travel the Maine Turnpike from Portsmouth to Yarmouth. It was in a Packard just like the one in the pics, and the same colors. The tolls were based on IBM type tickets. As we handed it to the tolltaker, he casually remarked that we were the first car to average 100 MPH between booths.

The other car is an old '63 Avanti from the same show.

 

[Htown Harry]

The Packard has special meaning to me... we were the first car to average 100 MPH between booths.

You would have no problem beating that record, imoldernu.

The spec page says the new version has a 525 c.i.d. 573 HP V-12. They claim 0 to 60 in < 5 seconds and a 12.8 second quarter mile.

 

[JoeWras]

The other car is an old '63 Avanti from the same show.

Ah, Imyoungerthanyou, oldernu, so it wasn't obvious to me that there is a connection of sorts to the Avanti and Packard. Both names were basically history to me in my conscious life, although the "Avanti" of sorts existed up through the 80s, but I think it was some sort of horrible AMC underpinned car or something.

In any case, I see that it isn't my imagination that there are Avanti-like styling cues in this so called "modern Packard", which I think might be vapor-ware from what I've read.

 

[nphx]

I am a Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) fan - the pics on the lift show the FWD clearly, "maybe" I am missing an All Wheel Drive (AWD) driveshaft to the back and CV driveshafts back there - but it seems not to be there. Its a disconenct to the chassis photo.

 

[Midpack]

I am a Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) fan - the pics on the lift show the FWD clearly, "maybe" I am missing an All Wheel Drive (AWD) driveshaft to the back and CV driveshafts back there - but it seems not to be there. Its a disconenct to the chassis photo.

From the website link above

The concept Packard Twelve has a Packard branded all-aluminum 525 cu. in. V-12 with 593 ft. lbs. torque and 573 horsepower, full time all-wheel drive, and aluminum body and chassis/frame.

And see drivetrain, including driveshaft, in post #5 above.

 

[veremchuka]

The old ones looked beautiful even elegant, the new one pictured in the OP post does nothing for me. Probably a wonderful car but it borders on ugly.

 

[Htown Harry]

Probably a wonderful car but it borders on ugly.

It's missing something. Would one of these change your mind?

 

[brett]

Why bother when you can get a Lexus for less money.

 

[veremchuka]

It isn't the hood ornament it's the design - too modern. I liked the classic lines of the old cars.

 

[packrat44]

The old ones looked beautiful even elegant, the new one pictured in the OP post does nothing for me. Probably a wonderful car but it borders on ugly.

IMHO you are much to kind in your description. I would consider it to be "butt ugly".

 

[eytonxav]

I like it except for the front and rear bumpers which look to 80s/90s to me.