Info on 1955 Packard Automobile

Answer 1

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Answer1955/56 Packards are among the technically most interesting automobiles of the decade made in the US. They featured the first V-8 engine of the marque (before, they made straight-6, straight-8 and V-12 (btw the first in automobile history).

There were two lines of cars for 1955: The "senior" with 127 in. wheelbase consisting of Patrician Sedan (5582), Four Hundred 2-door Hardtop (5587) and limited-production Caribbean Convertible (5588; 500 built).

The lesser line called Clipper had a wheelbase of 122 in. They had a different grille, side trim, tail lights, and hood mascot. Available were three lines: Deluxe and Super(Series 5540) and top-of-the-line Custom (Series 5660). In the Deluxe range there was only a Sedan (5522). Super had a somewhat better trimmed Sedan (5542) and the 2-door Hardtop Panama (5547). Customs came as Sedans (5562) and Constellation 2-door Hardtops (5567).

Seniors and Clipper Custom had a 352 ci V-8 engine delivering 245 HP in the Clipper, 260 in the Patrician and Four Hundred and, by higher compression and a 2x4 carburetor system, 290 in the Caribbean. Deluxes and Supers shared a 320ci V-8 with 225 HP.

Among the many innovations beside the new engine were their Twin Ultramatic automatic transmission (the only developed by an independent car manufacturer at the time) that could be locked in direct drive.

But main advertising theme was Torsion Level Ride, a suspension with 4 torsion bars (one for each wheel) plus two additional with an electric motor for the rear axle. The system counteracted against bumps in the road, holding the car stable and even; the additional bars held the car on an even level when the trunk was filled with luggage. Torsion Level was much simpler and far less troublesome than GM's Air ride system that was introduced with the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham and was available on mostl GM makes in 1958.

The Caribbean had it's own hood with two fake air inductions instead of a hood mascot. Further, it had a color band over the whole lenght of the car that raised at the rear edge of the car. Tri-color combinations were standard on that car.

The 320ci V-8, including Twin-Ultramatic, was also sold to AMC for their top-of-the-line Hudsons and Nashes.

Senior Packards rivalled with Cadillac, Lincolnand Imperial (and bet them in power and handling); Clippers were in the upper middle class, built to compete with makes like Oldsmobile, Mercury or Dodge.