About Packard's aesthetics, why are the cars beautiful?                                                                                                                                   Which are the phenomena that are called aesthetic and which aesthetics try to explain? Beauty in art, music and drama. And beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. How do we analyze the aesthetics in the design of an automobile?                                                                                                          Forty years ago I met a boy with a strange car, different from any other car that had come in my way. If it rained, you couldn't be sure that the windshield wipers did their job; if it was cold you had to keep yourself warm, and if it was winter there were no snow tires. But there was lots of room and in a special way the car was beautiful. I think I have always had an eye for beautiful things. Packard's logotype was also pleasing, as was the nice emblem with a bird.                                                                                                                                                                                                  To impress the owner of the Packard, I commissioned a jeweller to make a key ring for the Packard. His idea was that the Packard logo would have to be sawed out of thin silver plate to be soldered on to a round backing plate. Quite labor-intensive and therefore expensive to do. He still got the job.   So what is it that is so interesting about Packard's lines from aesthetic point of view? We can begin with the familiar yoke motif seen in the contour of the radiator, and later also in other exterior details, such as trunk racks, headlights and taillights. Everybody who has carried water in two pails without scraping their legs or wetting their skirt knows what a fine aid a yoke is. The traditional yoke is designed to relieve hands and arms, transferring the weight to shoulders and back.                                                                                                                                                           Packard started using the yoke motif on the Packard radiator with the Model L in 1904, I am told. Packard used the design in some form or other right to the end. And very effectively so. Just look at the creases on the hood on virtually all Packards to make the yoke form visible also when viewing the car from the side. And in the thirties the form was also seen on the luggage rack when looking at the rear.                                                                Other elements of Packard's corporate and product identity were the Packard family crest with its plumage and pelican or cromorant, the hexagon, first used on hub caps and later in many other applications, and the "Packard" text in its distinctive font. There is no doubt that the people responsible for the form language at Packard were great aesthetes from beginning to end.                                                                                                                But back to the key ring that came to be used for the keys of our sixes. When I went to pick it up the misgivings turned out to be justified. The piece cost me an entire month's salary, but it has been admired by a lot of people wondering where it could be bought. Perhaps I should let my own jewellery business start making it.

Page 5

Since last

Denmark

Thorben Damsgaard is a new member, who has bought his 1922 Single Six Doctor's Coupe from Ole Artved.

Norway

Marit Tombre in Haugesund is also a new NPOC member. She owns a 1956 Patrician.

Øyvind Ofstad has sold his 1931 833 Touring to Trond Bull Enger in Sandefjord.

Four NPOC members participated in the Hansa Tour in Germany in early September 2008. Knut Samuelsen with 1941 160 Convertible Coupe, John Wallentin with 1936 120B Convertible Sedan by Dietrich, Tore H. Larsen with 1928 Roadster and Rune Aschim with 1916 225 Twin Six Touring.

Page 6

Rally Packard Väst 2008

Text: Svein & Judith Thorvaldsen   Photography: Hans Schmidtz

As always, this September's meet was arranged by Kent Carlson in and around his home town of Varberg, 160 miles south of Gothenburg. The weather this year didn't cooperate, but it was still a worthwhile meet with many interesting features, including a visit at the Falkenberg photo and film museum.

Page 7

NPOC Finland celebrates Little Christmas at an organ factory

By: Dag Söderblom

Thirteen Finnish NPOC members celebrated Little Christmas at an old organ factory turned hotel at Kangasala. The organ factory was started in 1843 and over four generations built more than a thousand organs until its demise in 1983. The Packard connection is that the factory's third generation owner bought a 733 Packard Limousine, according to the records taking delivery on October 10, 1930. The car was commandeered by the Finnish army and served during the Winter War 1939-40. The picture shows the Packard camouflage-painted snow white, its headlight lenses blackened, except for a thin stripe in the middle.

Page 8-10

The Packard perfectionist

Text and photograpy: Ivar Engerud

For 12 years John Wallentin has run his own restoration business. First in Larvik, then in Sandefjord and now in Våle in Vestfold. Several masterpieces have rolled out from these facilities.

Behind the modest sign reading "Wallentins Restaureringsverkstad" hides a perfectionist. It also began modestly, with John restoring mostly early VWs, Kübelwagen and the like, in the early seventies for himself and others. John's job at the time was that of a high-tension electrical fitter for the railroad. But he also inherited a mechanical background from his father, who worked on locomotives for Thunes Mek. Verkstad.

From hobby to vocation

Packard entered John's life in earnest in the 1980s. It began with the hulk of a 1929 633 7-passenger Sedan that he fitted with a Roadster body. Then, in the early 1990s, John spent evenings restoring Harald Nissen-Lie's 1930 733 Standard Eight. After that the demand for John's services really took off. In 1995 he opened his full-time restoration shop in Larvik. He operates without hired help, but outsources things like painting, some body work and upholstery.

In recent years full restorations have been done on a 1934 Standard Eight and a 7-passenger 1931 Nash Touring. In addition to which has done numerous smaller jobs and partial restorations. In process is a 1918 Mercer 7-passenger, the body of which was virtually consumed. One of the most ambitious projects in recent years is Harald Nissen-Lie's 1937 1508 Convertible Sedan that is now nearing completion. One of the most extensive restoration ever undertaken in Norway.

Dream cars

Wallentin's own fleet of cars includes a 1936 120 Dietrich Convertible Sedan, one of about 800 built, and one of two in Norway. John's favorite year is 1934. When a 1934 V-12 Roadster came up for sale in California a few years ago, a deal was struck. Some valve trouble made the car affordable. It is now waiting to be fixed/restored, if John ever gets time between all customer cars.

Page 10

Packard Meet at John Wallentin's new shop

Text: Harald Nissen-Lie   Photography: Knut Samuelsen

Again this year, John Wallentin invited to the year's first Packard meet, this time as early as on January 24, at his new location in Vestfold, closer to Oslo than the previous shop. Aside from a large house for living quarters, the new property consists of a garage building with room for 5-6 cars, a large shop with parts room, office and garage for a large number of cars. In spite of a foot-deep snowfall, some 20 Packard enthusiasts showed up.  

Only a couple of months now remain after 11 years of work on my 1937 Packard. And the quality of John's work can readily be seen. Can't wait for spring!

Page 12-13

Packard's key system

By: Lars Löwgren

You will have noticed that Packard keys are stamped or engraved with a code. Until the 12^th Series the code was a P followed by three digits. With the introduction of the 120, the number of digits was increased to four on one key while the other remained with three.

My assumption is that all 14th Series junior cars had four digits on both keys, but it is uncertain how long the senior cars kept the three-digit combination. One supplier was Briggs & Stratton in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The firm still exists today: Look at the engine of your lawn mower!

When Packard still had a functioning dealership organization it was easy to get spare keys for your Packard by just giving your key number. All good dealerships had a complete set. The Packard literature contains very little information on the subject.

Aarno Mikala and Dag Söderblom managed to save the keys from the Finnish dealership, Autola, in the form of a board with hooks for 250 keys. When rescued in 1966, only 136 keys remained. Much later this collection was shipped to me on a wire. Initially, we thought that this set was complete, but I came to a different conclusion after trying to open several member locks without keys.

By measuring the keys and taking apart a number of broken locks, I came to the conclusion that all lock cylinders have five pins, each of which could be set in one of three positions by the grind of the key. Position 0, no grind; position 1, 0.8mm; Position 2, 1.1mm. Mathematically, that makes for 243 combinations (three to the power of five), from which some combinations must be and were eliminated, such as the combination 00000 (a blank) and those with the same grind in all positions. The lowest number I have found is P1258 and the highest P1467. The key code was not only stamped on the keys, but in many cases also on the cylinders themselves. The Finnish import register listed codes all the way to P1500. It is therefore safe to assume that all junior and post-war cars had key combinations from P1250 to P1500.

Each car had two keys, on for door/ignition (round thumb grip) and for glove box/trunk (oval before the war and with 45° angled thumb grip post-war). Cars have been known to have both keys the same.

The P stands for Packard, of course. Other American cars had other prefix letters and different groove combinations.

Let me know if you have three-digit keys or keys with codes other than the ones mentioned above.

When the bulletin editor read this article he looked at his own keys: P1485 on the door/ignition key and P1487 on the trunk key. A bit closer to P1500!

Page 14-15

Fall tour to Lübeck

Text: Allan Møller   Photography: Allan Møller & Michael Nancke

Twenty-four persons and 8 cars (5 Packards) participated in the Fall Tour to Lübeck arranged by members Wilfried and Gundy Hüttmann in Germany. Start Friday, September 19 at Michael and Jeanet Bohnsen in Hvidovre (Copenhagen) and then to the ferry in Puttgaden. One hour at sea and then on to Lübeck. The cars were parked in the Hotel Aquamarin's basement garage. The following morning our hosts had arranged a driving tour to the village of Berkenthin outside Lübeck. The weather was beautiful. Back to Lübeck for more sightseeing and a walking tour in the town's old center. And then a visit to a brewery.

Sunday was the day of departure and we drove the costal road to Neustadt. Back to the ferry bound for Puttgaden. Nice to get back home but a fantastic weekend it was! We hope to be invited to Kiel in a couple of years.

Page 16

My Packard

Beginning with this issue, we will be running small articles about member cars under this heading. It can be a brief account of why the car was bought, something about its restoration, an interesting trip taken in it, or whatever. Send your text to the Bulletin editor along with a picture or two. Here is the first entry.

A Packard story

Text: Stig Wettersand   Photography: Hans Schmidtz

In my profession of auto upholsterer at the end of the 1960s, I did some work on old cars and I suppose I had the reputation of being a reliable craftsman. This was how I met Ole Böök and that led to the job of doing the interior and convertible top on Harald Johnsson's 1934 1101 Convertible Sedan. After that job Ole felt that I should have a Packard of my own. He suggested that I take over his 1956 400 as he was moving to the United States. But I wasn't interested in restoring my own car in my free time, since I worked on cars for my living all day.

But Ole was persistent and explained that there car needed no work. One evening he came home to me (we both lived in Täby) and let me test drive the car. That did it; I bought the car on the spot and I have enjoyed it for thirty years, participating in several Packard meets, not only in Sweden, but also in our neighboring Nordic countries.

The time has now come to sell and it feels good that the car has been taken over by a person in the club with the right feeling for Packard.

Page 17-21

Focus on 1956

- a year of hopes and disappointments

By: Bertil Dimander

Would Packard get the resources again to be a leader in the luxury car market, or would the brand die in connection with the move to Studebaker's plant in South Bend? There were many questions but few answers. No matter the forecasts and visions of the future, but what did the market, and especially Packard's circle of old and loyal customers think? Perhaps one should emphasize 'old,' because it was really questionable if the loyal clientele was still             there. The forms for owning exclusive cars changed and a new after-the-war generation began to take over. And what about all the thousands of employees at Packard's Detroit plant? The chief executive of Curtis-Wright, who was now the principal owner of Studebaker-Packard Corporation, said in the beginning of August that unless the company turns around fast, "a lotta people will just get fired."

But the world also had problems to wrestle with this year. The revolt in Hungary is perhaps what comes to mind when thinking about 1956. Soviet troops quelled the revolt and killed thousands of Hungarians in so doing. And a quarter of a million people fled the country. The Suez crisis was another political crisis this year. The crisis made for a shortage of oil in Europe and in Sweden gasoline was rationed for a month and a half. M/S Andrea Doria collided with M/S Stockholm outside Massachusetts. Nine high-end cars, among them "The Norseman" (hand built by Ghia for Chrysler) went down with the Italian liner. Finland became a member of the Nordic Council. And something which probably can be news only in Sweden: Trial permission to serve alcohol without food was granted to some fifty restaurants in Sweden. Warship Wasa a, now one of Sweden's foremost tourist attractions, was found in Stockholm's harbor. The Norwegian Troll car was launched, the only car made in Norway after the war. Fifteen were planned, but only five were built before the maker went bankrupt.

Packard had a reasonably good year in 1955 and there were high hopes for 1956. As we know that did not materialize. Packard made 55,517 cars in 1956 but only 28,835 in 1956. Production stopped on June 15.

We all know the story.