• Year of manufacture 
    1956
  • Car type 
    Other
  • Lot number 
    374
  • Reference number 
    HF22_r0076
  • Condition 
    Used
  • Location
    United States
  • Exterior colour 
    Other

Description

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Hershey event, 5 - 6 October 2022.

  • Rare example of Packard’s final convertible
  • One of just 276 built
  • Uncommon and attractive factory color combination
  • Extensive power equipment throughout

An early juggernaut of the American automobile industry, by 1956 the writing was on the wall for Packard. Despite the marque’s troubled financial status, brought on by the purchase of the struggling Studebaker Corporation in 1954, the company pushed on to introduce innovations for the 1956 model year, including the new electronic push-button transmission and an all-new 374-cubic-inch, 310-horsepower V-8 engine for the “Senior” models. Under the Caribbean sub-model, two specially styled automobiles were offered, the convertible and the all-new hardtop. Packard’s efforts paid off in the automotive press, with many journalists calling the 1956 Packard the best American car of the year.

Since no convertible was offered in the final two years that the Packard nameplate was used, the stunning 1956 Caribbeans, including the example offered here, were the last Packard convertibles ever built. Given body style number 5699, the Caribbean Convertible was the most expensive Packard offered that year, with a base price of $5,932. Only 276 Caribbean Convertibles were assembled and sold during 1956, making them one of the rarest American production cars of the 1950s. Examples are highly prized by Packard collectors and mid-century enthusiasts alike.

The 1956 Packard Caribbean Convertible offered here is finished in the stunning, and rare, factory color of Danube Blue over Roman Copper and White (code MES) with a stunning tri-color interior. Extensive chrome, including the Packard chromed wire wheels wrapped with wide whitewall tires, complete the Caribbean’s beautiful presentation. Befitting both the Packard and Caribbean names, it is a highly luxurious yet capable automobile fitted with extensive power equipment, including windows, seats, steering, brakes, top, and dual-range heater.

Though the Packard nameplate technically continued until 1958, most Packard enthusiasts and historians consider 1956 to be the final year one could purchase a new “real” Packard. Ideal for events with either of the two recognized Packard clubs or the Antique Automobile Club of America, the Caribbean convertible offered here marks a stylish end to a legendary carmaker’s portfolio, one that will greatly impact whomever is lucky enough to own it.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/hf22.