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1950's American Dream CarsThese were the iconic cars of the post WW2 American Dream |
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1955 Packard Caribbean Convertible |
Sold for $66,000 on July 26, 2014
Series 5580. 275 hp, 352 cu. in.
overhead-valve V-8 engine with dual four-barrel carburetors,
three-speed Twin-Ultramatic automatic transmission, front and
rear torsion bar self-leveling suspension, and power-assisted
four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 127 in. |
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For over 50 years Packard had been one of
America’s top luxury car manufacturers and had held a status unprecedented
among automobiles of the worldwide elite. Sadly, all of that would end in
the late 1950s, as the result of a combination of bad business decisions,
bad sales, and bad luck. The company’s last prestigious, low-production offering was the Caribbean Convertible of 1955 and 1956. This top-of-the-line model was completely redesigned for ’55, and it sported a new high-output overhead-valve V-8 engine with dual four-barrel carburetors, which could produce an amazing 310 horsepower, put to the rear wheels through a new pushbutton Twin Ultramatic transmission. An innovative, new torsion-bar suspension on the chassis featured automatic leveling to suit the road surface, making the 1955 Packard Caribbean the smoothest-riding and best-handling full-size car of its era. At $5,932, the Caribbean was breathtaking in more ways than one. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Packard built a mere 500 examples in 1955. The survivors are treasured by enthusiasts of 1950s automobiles and are known as “the last great Packards,” with some even saying that they are the finest luxury convertibles of its era. |
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