– 22 – SUMMARY OF BULLETIN no. 137 by: OLE BÖÖK

Cover The journey home On Sunday it was time to say farewell to both Packard friends and the gracious This year’s annual Fall Tour in Denmark was replaced by a tour to Berlin, arranged town of Berlin. Before departing we promised ourselves to meet up at the next by the Club’s German members. Seven Packards joined from Denmark and one major NPOC event, the annual meet to be held in Varberg, Sweden in 2011. The from Sweden. A few members came by air. On Saturday a flash action was staged, German arrangers accompanied us on the way and the rest of the journey was without any permits whatsoever, when the cars were parked in front of Brandenburger without drama or incidents. Tor for a photo shoot. The entire action lasted only a couple of minutes. Read in this issue the report from Berlin, an article about the disintegration of the Packard plant, Many thanks for a magnificent arrangement a Norwegian hearse and a little about oil. As far as I am concerned it was a great experience to see Berlin again. I hadn’t been there since 1982 and I got a lump in my throat when I saw the monumental Page 3-7 change that has taken place in the years since then. The “concrete-gray” communist Berlin Rendezvous atmosphere has been replaced by optimism and belief in the future. Many thanks to Text: Jens Jørgen Pedersen Photography: Hans Schmidtz Gundi, Wilfried, Peter and Wolfgang for a meticulously planned program and your patience with our Scandinavian need for a few last-minute changes. Our appetite NPOC’s late-year tour September 9-12 2010 went to Berlin. It was an arrang- for more has been aroused. ement that almost didn’t come to be, but thanks to the efforts of our German Berlin – auf wiedersehen – Ich bin dabei. club members it became a resounding success. We thank you for a fantastic The Packard name will never wane. experience. Page 8 Berlin The disintegration of a unique plant Year 2010 was an emotionally charged year for all Berliners as it marks the twen- Text: Bertil Dimander Photography: Craig Handley tieth anniversary of Berlin’s unification. The German capital has undergone formi- dable change during the past 65 years. From being a gigantic pile of the rubble of In the summer of 1954 the once eminent Packard Motor Car Company locked bombed buildings, the city was divided based on well-known political and economic the doors to its 1580 East Grand Boulevard plant never to return. Operations circumstances. were moved to Conner Avenue, where the 1955 and 1956 models were to be The eastern part was governed based on the principles of the proletariat’s built, and then to Studebaker-Packard Corporation in South Bend, Indiana. dictatorship, DDR, from 1947, whereas the western part was managed according The old Packard factory was abandoned and came to be the home of dubious to democratic principles and lost its status of capital for a while. During the years companies, quarters for people at the bottom of society and fraught with 1948-49 the 2 million Berliners depended on all supplies ferried in by air since Soviet vandalization and arson. The Packard factory now remains as a dilapidated troops cut off all access to the city by land. East Berliners rose up against the regime ruin amid a slum area. Only one company, Chemical Processing, remains and and in 1953 it came to bloody revolt during which 500 persons were murdered and according to the New York Times of November 16, 2010 it is about to move out. ten times as many were imprisoned. To prevent escape to the West the Berlin wall was built in 1960-61. For several decades we have been reading about and experienced how parts The communist regime collapsed in 1989 for economic reasons and the two of large cities have changed character. Take the Docklands in London for instance. Germanys were reunited and the wall was torn down. Berlin became the world’s It has been transformed from a badly run down harbor area to an attractive location greatest construction sites, the Soviet style concrete monstrosities were demolished for offices and other business pursuits, or Central Park West in New York, which after and many of the magnificent old buildings were recreated using the old architectural a building boom around the turn of the century fell into decay, only to be resurrected drawings. After some wrangling with Bonn, Berlin again became Germany’s capital. as a home for art activities, exclusive shops and, especially, luxurious dwellings. The transformation process has not ended. A new airport, to be named Berlin- The area around East Grand Boulevard has evolved in a different direction. Brandenburg International, is under construction to replace Tempelhof, which was From having been an area high up on the social scale, with elegant boulevards and closed in 2008. Berlin has regained its status as a beautiful metropolis, with a wealth populated by people who could afford to buy a Packard, it has evolved into a slum of historic and cultural landmarks and is richly “decorated” with large green areas area where you shouldn’t set foot after dark. Or even during daylight hours. It’s an and streetlights in classic design. With 3.4 million inhabitants Berlin is again a vibrant enormous area of more than 325,000 square meters and more than a mile north to place, but the transformation has been expensive and the town is heavily in debt, south. By the end of the thirties it had the capacity of producing 100 cars an hour. almost to the point of financial collapse. Since Packard moved, many companies have tried to establish themselves within the walls of the old factory. The City of Detroit and a private company have Three days long been fighting about the right of ownership. In reality the factory has been empty The tour began in Copenhagen with seven Packards. Two modern cars joined up in and abandoned, with virtually all windows crushed and walls and bridges crumbling. Gedser and Jerry Grandin connected in Rostock. Jonni Sprang joined in from south There have been many fires, the first of which was Detroit’s largest. It erupted on Jutland and 75 kilometers north of Berlin we were met by four German members led February 9, 1959 and took thirteen days to extinguish. by Wilfried Hüttmann. Two groups arrived at the hotel destination in central Berlin, The real deterioration began in 1989. Plans to revive the plant and make it into near Kurfürstendamm. Six people arrived by air from Sweden and Finland. Dinner was a corporate center came to naught and a turbulent time with ownership disputes served at the hotel and Peter Burton had arranged that each participant received a and unpaid taxes ensued. An effort by several well-known Packard enthusiasts model Packard held by magnets on a mahogany base, plus a 48-hour pass allowing to make the four-story office building into a museum also came to naught. Metal free transportation by public transit, including canal boats. thieves caused further damage and nature is starting to take the whole complex back. Arsonists have also had a field day. Friday In August 2008 the main entrance on East Grand Boulevard and a similar The Friday program included a visit to Meilenwerk, a former streetcar depot trans- but smaller side entrance were auctioned off and ended up at America’s Packard formed into an exclusive-auto-brand workshop, where classic cars are also sold, as Museum in Dayton and at The Packard Proving Grounds in Utica, respectively. well as books and models. There is also a small museum with old cars and some Some of the oak and hemlock fir wood paneling from the Packard offices has been motorcycles. saved and can be purchased from AuthenticPackard, L.L.C. Go to their website www.AuthenticPackard.com for pricing and ordering info. Saturday After some internal discussion, a quick photo session was arranged at Bran- Page 12-13 denburger Tor, a rather unique happening. The rest of the day was spent touring “From Harald’s time” Frederik the Great’s summer residence, Park Sanssouci in Potsdam, a truly Excerpt from Bulletin #8, August 1973 fantastic place, rich in history and with something to satisfy every taste. One of the palace’s former horse stables now serves as a film museum, replicating the After the second NPOC meet held in Bergen, Norway, the club’s founder, Harald nearby Bapelsberg, which between 1920 and 1940 was Germany’s Hollywood. Jonsson, wrote the following introduction in the Bulletin. Packard reflections Many films were shot here, initially for entertainment and later propaganda films before that heading even existed. The text remains entirely relevant today. for the Third Reich regime. Potsdam is also known for the Cecilienhof palace located at Neuer Garten am In connection with this year’s meet and the framework around it I have pondered Heiliger See. This is where Churchill, Truman and Stalin had their famous meeting over all the pleasant and interesting things we experience with the old car hobby, when the lines for Europe were drawn up for the postwar period. Potsdam is also with our Packards and our club. So why, then, are we involved with old cars and known for Glienicker Brücke where a chalk line on the bridge denoted the border Packard cars in particular? There are as many answers to the question as there between DDR and BRD. It was here that KGB spy Rudolf Abel was exchanged folks involved in the hobby. There is one word that covers many of the answers – for American U-2 spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers. ESCAPISM. Many of us have a desire to relive an earlier time period. Then there is In Potsdam two additional Packards joined up. After some problems with one the cultural history facet and the technical side, as well as the practical aspect with of the cars we made our way back to the hotel and a couple of hours to take in restoration and replacement parts. Berlin on our own in the gorgeous Berlin late summer weather, with a “Berliner Then there is the joy of being together with other like-minded people, writing Weiss” or two before dinner at a Berlin “Bier Stube” close to Alexander Platz, or a letters, going on tours, etc. Coupled with the helpfulness and kindness so common more traditional German Tyroler place on Friedrichstrasse, not far from the main in this context. Some will say that we could have chosen something easier to handle railway station and one of the border crossings between East and West Berlin than two or three tons of Packard. Why not stamps, butterflies, Napoleon figurines, known as Checkpoint Charlie. miniature vases or something less bulky to collect – but perhaps not less expensive. – 23 – We can be divided into several groups with different interests. Many of us see Page 16-17 the old automobile as an interesting technical object compared to today’s mass- Our member Aarno Mikala found this 1915 Packard ad from the Villa och Herrgård produced, highly standardized means of transportation. When it comes to Packard magazine (Villa and Manor) at the University Library in Helsinki. This very upscale I think the technically oriented are fascinated by the sound and solid design, or as magazine describes the life of the aristocracy before the Russian revolution. The Ole Böök once expressed it: “Packard is so damn logical and correct in its design magazine contains a wealth of auto ads and in this one the agent, A.A. Tupalsko, is compared to many other things.” (Translator’s comment: I had forgotten that I uttered aiming at the contemporary Russian oligarchs with the statement: Our customers these words, but I stand by them in 2011.) include J.P. Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt, W.G. Rockefeller and others. Packard was a rather small producer in its time, but one with lofty ambitions. There were those with even higher ambitions, but then at a much higher price, such Translation: as Duesenberg. This study of the technology, both in the form of literature, and by way of restoring an old car from the ground up, is obviously very fascinating and "Packard" cars are the most expensive cars in the world. But practical Americans in many cases becomes a life’s calling. There are those who restore one car after consider them to be the most beneficial ones. Spending that money on this car another in four to five year cycles, but never drive them! provides the ultimate compensation. The technical interest can take many forms. Among us are those who delight Anyone who doesn't drive "Packard" cannot imagine how pleasant it is. Packard in an elegant, well thought-out design. And there are those who think it is a shame runs on fields as well as it does on the road. to mount a body on a beautifully restored chassis. A precious moment is also when It is possible that Russians are not aware of these cars. But remember that they you first start an engine after a total rebuild. People who enjoy that sort of thing were designed especially for the bad roads in the western United States, where usually also like to have a good stash of spare parts, shop manuals, service roads are no better than ours are here. In America this car has earned rewards in bulletins, etc. all road competitions. The next group that enters the picture is the one who feels that lines of the "Packard" cars are easy to drive. They are safer and more stable than any other body are more important than anything else. Some think cars from the 1920s are cars. You can stop a "Packard" without any jolts. prettier than anything else. Other people have a liking for 1936 Packards. And some One of the best advantages of the car is its left steering and the central instru- are happiest with cars from the forties and fifties. It’s a good thing that there are so ment panel where all the controls of the car are (including start button) are located. many different tastes; that way we can be sure that Packards from all the years of "Packard" cars don't become old with years due to their form and stability. They Packard production will be saved. don't lose their pleasant and quiet ride after many years of use. Among the “body types” there are those with an affinity for seven- or eight- Some cars are already in Petrograd. Ask the people who have these cars! seat limousines, with lots of buttons, cigar lighters, bar cabinets, armrests, etc. In the USA you cannot find a single multi-millionaire who doesn't drive our car! And those who think a small, sporty body on as long a chassis as possible is Also the best trucks in the world are ours! the ultimate. Still others won’t make do with standard Packard coachwork and For further information, contact: must have a custom-built body by, for instance, Bohman & Schwartz, Dietrich Ing. A.A. Tupalsko, Nevski Prospekt 28, Tel. 149-71 or Darrin. For me it is important that a car is beautiful to look at, good to sit in and pleasant to drive. I feel highly privileged with my 1101 Convertible Sedan Translation from Russian to English by Aarno Mikala and Zaven Pogosov. Edited from 1934. by Ole Böök. Packard has always been a symbol of status and good taste. Many of the world’s most famous persons have ridden in Packards. Kings, presidents, diplo- Page 18-19 mats, actors and theater people of distinction, industrialists and bankers. All these Which oil should I use? people chose Packard because Packard was such a wonderful combination a Common questions and answers compiled by Nils-Gunnar Svensson technically refined machine and comfortable coachwork, coupled with the status of the Packard name. Discussion of the pros and cons of conventional, semi-synthetic and synthetic oils. I also think the smell and sound of a Packard is pleasing. The overall feeling of a Packard is special. It is true that I am biased. I have liked Packard since I was Page 20 a child in Stockholm of the 1930s. Another advantage is that you can travel in a Queen Astrid’s tragic death in 1935 Packard. Some people like to drive veteran car rallies; others use their Packard for vacation tours. And some even use their Packards for daily transportation. Douglas This report comes is out of a Norwegian weekly. Queen Astrid, who was the Barclay, Sverre Simonsen and others belong to this group. (Editor’s comment: Two daughter of the Swedish Prince Carl, lost her life on August 29 in Switzerland now deceased NPOC member; remember this was written in 1973!) when the king’s car ended up in the Vierwaldstätter lake. You will see that the I don’t have a lot of experience driving Packards. I have never owned a complete car is a Packard 120 Convertible Coupe, which was introduced the same year. and drivable car. But thanks to the kindness of good friends I have had the oppor- tunity of test-driving quite a few different types, everything from Ole Böök’s 726 to Queen Astrid died in less than 20 minutes. Ove Haak’s 740 to a 197 Clipper. I became one experience richer this past Whitsun Dr. Stockalper from Luzerne, who had been both King Leopold’s and the deceased holiday when I was afforded the opportunity to borrow the Skokloster Motor Museum’s King Albert’s doctor, was summoned from his clinic but there was nothing he could do. 1705 Touring Limousine for the Packard meet in Bergen. That was an experience The king did not allow his own wounds to be treated before he had been I would not want to have missed. A sixteen hundred mile exceptionally fine ride! convinced that the queen was dead. Before he was helped into a car, he once again Alice and I are looking forward to the day when we can use our 1101 as vaca- took the queen in his arms and kissed her. tion and leisure car and perhaps relive some of the automobile atmosphere of the What had caused the accident was never determined. The most likely reason 1930s – in other words, ESCAPISM! seems to be that the king for a moment took his eyes off the road to admire the view, which probably is one of the most beautiful in Europe. Harald Jonsson All indications are that the king’s speed did not exceed about 60 kilometers per hour. Page 14-15 It is inexplicable that the king did not use the brakes. The car continued for as Norwegian hearse 1941 much as 70 meters before it came to a stop. Text and pictures: Roar Torgersen Page 21 Norsk Kjøretøjteknisk Museum in Lillehammer owns a Packard hearse not Surplus pictures from 2010 NPOC events registered with NPOC. It was mostly luxury cars that got hearse bodies in America and this car was equipped with a Henney body. Back cover Packard 1954 5431 Convertible Coupe In the early 1980s I was involved in the creation of Norsk Kjøretøjteknisk Owner: Jens Oppermann, Germany Museum, which opened in 1983. The museum was made aware of a junked Packard hearse in Torp. The car was a 1941 Packard, 1901A-2141. We went to pick up the car This attractive model that participated in Berlin has not been seen on our Nordic in June 1984, equipped with a temporary registration plate and a new battery. But we roads. Despite being produced in twice as many copies as the Caribbean, we only couldn’t get the car to start. The fuel system proved to be the culprit. We finally got it have three member cars, all unrestored or in the process of being restored. Of the running, but had to give up after only a few miles when it came to halt after midnight. more expensive Caribbean there are four, all roadworthy. Since the cars share the The car was left in the roadway leading to a house. One can wonder what the owner same chassis and the price in 1954 was $3,935 and $6,100, respectively, your of the house thought when upon waking up he saw a hearse parked in his driveway. Bulletin editor feels that the Convertible Coupe was a very good buy despite the After a few days we had found a replacement carburetor and fuel pump and the Caribbean’s more luxurious appointments. car was driven under its own power to the museum. The car was minimally restored 1954 was the last year for Packard’s straight 8 engine, which had been a staple with new paint and chrome in 1998 but it is not yet on display. in varying sizes and configurations since 1923. The straight eight boat anchor was Attached is a photograph of another Packard hearse, a Schrøder body on a 4-43 starting to get a little long in the tooth compared to competitors’ V8s. In the quest chassis. This vehicle served in Trondheim but is no longer in existence. for horsepower the engine of the senior cars was bored out to 3 9/16” and the stroke was lengthened to 4 1/2" giving it a displacement of 359 cu.in. Together with a Page 15 compression ratio of 8.7:1 the mill was now cranking out 212 horsepower at 4,000 The question below the picture caption for George Hamlin’s 1950 Henney Custom rpm. In the horsepower race Packard was now number three, after Chrysler Imperial Flower Car: (235 hp) and Cadillac (230 hp).

But for whom is the handle on the inside of the door intended? Text and photography: Hans Schmidtz