Automobile Quarterly, Volume 1, Number 3

While technically not a book but a periodical and thus perhaps something that really doesn't belong here, this publication is just so historic and relevant to Packard that it shouldn't be omitted. The volume, published at the time that the Studebaker-Packard Corp. chose to eliminate the word Packard from their corporate name, is essentially a very eloquent eulogy to Packard. This issue contains several articles not related to Packard, but the keynote article (25 pages), "Packard - A Great Name Passes On", written by Tom Mahoney, includes a brief history, some excellent photos for which Automobile Quarterly is reknown, and some wonderful prose which may even bring a tear to the eye of the reader. - Owen_Dyneto

Cars of the 50's

A compilation of 50's cars with some very nice photos and illustrations. Surprisingly, while there are a few, most are not the usual photos of one or two popular models as commonly seen in all the compilation books. Actual photos and illustrations of other models as well. Some photos of brochures and also some interior shots as well as a brief history per year. - HH56

Fifties Stylish American Cars (A Decade of Dazzle)

While this book is not at all exclusively dedicated to Packard, it features a stunning 1955 Caribbean, in color - purchased new by Howard Hughes for his (then and, in fact, last) wife, actress Jean Peters. This same car was also featured in a Motor Trend Retrospective article back in the 1970s – one of the first articles I read about my favorite Packards. - BH

Illustrated Packard Buyers Guide: All Packard Cars and Commercial Vehicles, 1899 to 1958

You might find this title in circulation at larger libraries with a substantial automotive selection, but keep in mind that vehicle pricing is going to be sorely out of date with this original edition. The asking price for mint used copies is so high that you have to wonder why a second, updated edition isn't forthcoming. - BH

Images of America - Packard Motor Car Company

This is a book of rare Packard photographs with descriptive captions. Roderick Blood traded a Packard automobile for a filing cabinet salvaged from the PMCC when it closed its doors in 1957. Blood’s cabinet containing photographs, company correspondence, manuscripts, and letters from James Ward Packard was given to the Larz Anderson Auto Museum upon Blood’s death in 1966. The author, the museum's curator, recently rediscovered the Blood-Packard collection and found it contained factory photographs of Packard automobiles that were thought to have been lost forever. These photos are the subject of the book. The photos cover the periods from the company’s beginning in 1899 in Warren, Ohio to the 1930s. A short chapter is devoted to racing Packards. It is a library must for anyone interested in the marque. - JW

Just Packards

A brief series of articles on Packards from about 1921 forward. Some articles on dealerships and personalities & the program to save the proving grounds. Some thoughts on various features & why some might have helped & some didn't or were too late to help save the marque. It appears to be a compilation of articles which may have appeared in Old Cars News. Black and White photos accompany most articles. - HH56

Master Motor Builders

Here is a very serious book that should be in the bookshelf of any serious Packard fan. Along with its companion book "Packards at Speed", it's professionally and exhaustively researched, profusely illustrated with both archival and current photos and engineering diagrams, and elegantly printed on very high quality paper. Its 10 chapters cover the Liberty engine, first commercial aero and marine engines, 4 valve designs, diesel engines, World War II designs and production, the postwar era, and comments on the financial impact of non-automotive production to Packard's bottom line. Also included are biographies of noteable inventors, and 10 appendices of production statistics. - Owen_Dyneto

Miller-Meteor: The Complete Illustrated History

Includes a tremendous amount of information and photographs detailing Packard's involvement in the professional car industry. Professional cars with Packard chassis were constructed by the A. J. Miller Company of Bellefontaine, Ohio from 1926 through 1937 and by Meteor in 1935. These vehicles are all detailed and illustrated in this book. - BigKev

Packard

With a Forward written by Jay Leno, Dennis Adler tells the story of the Packard Motorcar using 180 glossy photos (color and B&W) in eleven separate chapters. Many historic photos of factory production, dealers, development, and advertising accompany Adler’s narration of the Packard story. Featured Model photo-stories include: The 1910 Model Eighteen, the 1932 Twin Six, 1933 Dietrich Packard displayed at the 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair; and a 1942 Packard One-Eighty Darrin Victoria, Each chapter is about ten pages (except chapter five which is 35 pages). Chapter titles include: 1) The Customer Is Always Right- Early Packards; 2) East Grand Boulevard - The Move to Detroit; 3) First Great Packard Automobiles 1904-1919; 4) Packard Sets the Standard 1920-1929; 5) An American Classic 1930-1940; 6) The Darrin Packards - A Touch of Dutch; 7) Packard Abroad - European Coachwork; 8) The Proving Grounds - Ask the Men Who Test Them; 9) The Clipper - Redesigning Packard In Its Own Image; 10) Postwar Packards; 11)The Road To Ruin - Studebaker-Packard. Very readable, affordable and In-Print, this volume is richly done. Available from Classic Motorbooks at 1-800-826-6600 or www.motorbooks.com DanL - 41ParPack

PACKARD The Warren Years

Author Terry Martin, also author of the first 4 chapters of the Kimes-edited tome, subsequently came into possession of some historical data from a George Weiss ledger book kept by W. D. Packard; this new information required revision to some of the previously published early history which this work presents. A must for those interested in the very early years of Packard prior to the move to Detroit. Illustrated with B&W illustrations and with several indices on the production of the Models A thru F. - Owen_Dyneto

Packard (Crestline)

NOTE: Cover is engraved in a bright chrome-like color that scans dark. - BH

PACKARD - Mascots, Hood Ornaments, Trademarks, Moto-Meters

This is a book with minimal text, mostly comprising illustrations and captions. The chapters are (1) the story of the pelican, (2) trademarks and logos, (3) moto-meters, and (4) mascots, those subdivided into Twin Six, Goddesses of Speed, Adonis, Pelicans and Swans, Ring of Fire, and Streamlined ornaments. Included is an index of design patents and mascots. The author has searched the Patent and Trademark (div. of Dept. of Commerce) archives and many of the illustrations are copies of the front page of design/trademark patents showing the item covered and identifying the inventor, assignee, and date. A tightly focused topic and a quick read, yet quite worthwhile if this is your cup of tea. - Owen_Dyneto

PACKARD -- A Chronology of the Company the Cars and the People.

As the title states, this is a history of the company called by year.. There are photos, brief descriptions of models with data, and other significant happenings for the particular year. There are a few appendices with prominent personalities and companies and their relationship to Packard as well as databases of cars and known owners as of publication date - HH56

Packard 1899-1942

This picture book is a chronological collection of Packard advertisements spanning 1899 to 1942. It not only has adverts about the various Packard models, but also enginnering features that Packard developed, and War effort advertisements. If you are into vintage adverts, then this is a nice little piece. But there is very little in terms on new information in these collection of images.. - BigKev

PACKARD 1940 a pivotal year

This book is a must have for every 1940 owner and anyone looking for detailed information on the 1940 Packard line of fine automobiles. Mr. Hollingsworth covers sales overview, intro of the ’40, dealers and distributors, production by model and body type, series identification, custom cars, commercial cars, pricing, color & upholstery, accessories, air-conditioning, advertising and promotion, technical data, and end of production year and model. This book is full of facts along with supporting images, factory letters, and other related documentation. The chapter concerning air-conditioning is particularly interesting providing excellent detailed information beyond most other publications. Mr. Hollingsworth spent many years, along with other contributors gathering and compiling information specific to this year in order to provide the most accurate and historically correct data for the 1940 enthusiast. Whether maintaining or restoring, this is a fun and enlightening read that is certain educate. - 39super8

Packard 1948 To 1950

Another expertly researched and illustrated book by well-known Packard historian and author Robert J. Neal. It deals exclusively with the 22nd and 23rd series Packards from early design studies to the end of the 1950 production, unraveling many of the mysteries and curiousities these cars have presented over the years. Special chapters on the convertibles, taxicabs, station sedans, long-wheelbase cars, export cars, custom body cars, and the Henney vehicles, in all sixteen chapters and four appendeces. Highly recommended. - Owen_Dyneto

Packard Automobile Company - Tools and Jacks

If you have an interest in jacks and kit hand tools (those tools that would have come with the car) this little publication should prove interesting. Much of it was not new to me, but then I've also collected this kind of information for some years. But I suspect for most Packard folks and especially those new to the hobby it will be new information. The "book" is called a work-in-progress by the authors, indicating new information may become available over time. The publication is actually a 3-ring binder with the contents printed, both in color and B&W on heavy card-stock paper. There are illustrations of most Packard jacks from the mid-teens thru 1956 often with manufacturer's name and/or number indicated, and of hand tools like hammers, screwdrivers, open end and monkey wrenches, tire gauges, ignition wrenches, water pump packing nut wrenches, etc. There is a short section at the end of modern items for sale like tool and jack bags and the like. - Owen_Dyneto

Packard Cars 1920-1942

A compilation of advertisements, photos, road tests, and published factory data from a British perspective. Includes illustrations and photos of RHD cars. - HH56

Packard Gold Portfolio 1946-1958

There is not one single shred of new material in this book, but it is a collection of interesting articles from leading magazines of the times. It seems to be out of print in the US, but appears to be available for purchase in the UK and EU at present. Brooklands produced a series of this type of book for many different marques. - BH

Packard Illustrated

This was to have been a quarterly publication but I believe only one or two were actually done. It is a hardback book similar to Automobile Quarterly in quality and intent but exclusively Packard in content. - HH56

Packard Motor Cars 1946-1958 Photo Archive

Photos from Detroit Public Library's National Auto History Collection. - HH56

Packard: A History in Ads ... 1903-1956

Griffiths' self-published 8 1/2" X 11" volume gathers 65 ads that give a visual history of Packard Motor Company as it presented itself to the consuming public for nearly sixty years. A brief paragraph accompanies each ad with history and comment about the ad, its time, Packard events, and world events that surrounded it. Unfortunately, this volume is printed in B&W. Readers will need to find other sources (some on this Packard Info website) to enjoy the colors of 1926-1956 Packard renderings and artwork. Packard was a consistent advertiser in the Saturday Evening Post from 1903 to 1956. Color ads were introduced in 1926 by the Austin Bement agency. They used "fine art paintings and beautiful car renderings" throughout the 20s and 30s. The Young & Rubicam agency represented Packard from 1932 until 1952. They introduced the One-Twenty models, the Packard Six, and the Clipper. Griffiths includes a 3 page listing of over 1500 ads by year, month and page location as they appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, Collier's Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Country Life, National Geographic, and Holiday Magazine. Some of these deserve posting separately. Enjoy! DanL - 41ParPack

Packard: A History of the Motor Car and the Company

Although the more affordable general edition actually fell out of print, Automobile Quarterly issued a new edition/printing of this title in 2003 (ISBN 0971146810). - BigKev

Packard: A History Of The Motor Car And The Company

The limited edition of the book that is listed with the same name. see description for that book, it is the same book. - BigKev

Packard: Ask The Man Who Owned One

A brief history of the inception of Packard Motor Car Company through 1901 is covered in a little over a dozen pages. The rest of the book consists of black and white reproductions of Packard advertising from 1902 through 1942 - from the personal collection of the author and J.L. Elbert. - BH

Packard: The Complete Story

Several books on Packard were published over the 1980s and into the 1990s, and this is just one of them. Covering the marque's history from 1899 though 1962, it is peppered with photos, advertisements, a few factory letters, and financial statements from a few annual reports - none of it in color. It also includes a few pages of the author's restoration tips and a chapter covering his sources for parts and service. - BH

Packard: The Pride

However, it appears to have been recently reissued in a standard edition, with a much lower price (ISBN 0971146829) - available direct from Automobile Quarterly. - BH

Packards at Speed

Like the companion "Master Motor Builders", here's a very serious book deserving to be on every Packard fan's bookshelf. Professionally and exhaustive researched, profusely illustrated with archival and current photographs, and printed on very high quality paper, the 13 chapters cover the design, manufacture and performance of Packard's various aero, marine and automotive engines. Eight appendices give race and performance statistics of some of the more noteworthy events such as the Gold Cup, Detroit Sweepstakes, etc. - Owen_Dyneto

Revived From The Dead

Description, pictures of trials & tribulations when restoring a 1955 400. Somewhat interesting and amusing read as we have all been there at some point. - HH56

Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 (3rd Edition)

This new revised edition is the indepth reference guide for American automobiles manufactured from 1805 to 1942. With more than 5,000 photos and histories of American cars and their companies. This is one of the most extensive automobile reference available. It covers all the standard Packard production models from 1899-1942. List models specification, production values, list price, and options available. - BigKev

Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975

This new revised edition is the indepth reference guide for American automobiles manufactured from 1946 to 1975. With more than 2,800 photos and histories of American cars and their companies. This is one of the most extensive automobile references available. It covers all the standard Packard production models from 1946-1958. List models specification, production values, list price, and options available. - BigKev

Standard Catalog of Independents

A book covering independents. Packard is one of many but of the approx 360 pages devoted to the 19 various make cars, Packard has 50 of them. Black and white photos, specifications, production data, price, weight, standard equipment list and some prices of options in various models. The Packard section is broken down into pre and post war and compiled by two individuals. A fairly decent amount of information. There is a circa 1999 price guide in the last pages. - HH56

STUDEBAKER: The Life and Death of an American Corporation

This is a book on the demise of Studebaker (and Packard) from another perspective. There is a chapter on the merger and also mentions of problems before and resulting ones after. Either due to personality, cash & lack therof, culture, labor, other competing interests, various reasons for the demise are explored. The actual text is 190 pages but it is well researched with bibliography & footnotes in the remaining pages. Somewhat dry at times but nevertheless an interesting read. - HH56

The 8- & 12-Cylinder Packards, 1923-1942

This little 10-page booklet is profile #94 in a series of profiles on noteworthy cars. It includes brief sections on the 8-cylinder engine, chassis, Packard Proving Grounds, refinements and improvements, the 12-cylinder engine, racing experiments, and the last Classic Packards. Brief and abbreviated it is, but nicely illustrated in color and B&W, and a good introduction "in a nutshell" to the era. - Owen_Dyneto

The Coachbuilt Packard

This book is primariy a collection of captioned photos from private collections and the archives of the major coachbuilders of the Classic era including Packard Custom Body Division, Brewster, Darrin, Derham, Dietrich, Fleetwood, Holbrook, Judkins, LeBaron, Rollston, Waterhouse, and Willoughby as well as some minor American and several European builders. Pfau was of course a principal in the custom body-building industry and writes with first-hand knowledge. There is no coverage of post WW II vehicles. - Owen_Dyneto

The Custom Body Era

While a case might be made for not including this book here because it is not wholly devoted to Packard, this is still THE book on the coachbuilding industry thru the true Classic era. Pfau was of course a principal in the companies that designed and produced these bodies, starting with LeBaron in NYC and he writes from first hand experience and his personal archives. There are sections on LeBaron, Brewster, Locke, Derham, Fleetwood, Brunn, Willoughby, Holbrook, Judkins, Dietrich and many other US coachbuilders. This is followed by individual sections on the chassis including Lincoln, Packard (71 pages), Cadillac, Chrysler, Pierce Arrow, Stutz, Duesenberg, Marmon, Franklin, Locomobile, Studebaker, and others. This is followed by a chapter on foreign chassis including Hispano-Suiza, Rolls-Royce, Isotta-Fraschini, Minerva, Mercedes Benz, Renault, Voisin, Lancia, Bugatti, and yet others. This is followed by a section on the actual nuts-and-bolts of how bodies were designed and manufactured with some detail on interior trim, top materials, paint and color, brightwork, and chassis modifications. If you're interested in this type of history, this is a wonderful book. Illustrated of course. Sorry, the dust jacket is long since lost, the photo is of the title page. - Owen_Dyneto

The Fall of the Packard Motor Car Company

This book wasn't written by a group of loyal enthusiasts, but based on in-depth, well-balanced, research. Legend has it that Ward's treatise was so highly regarded by the academic public at the time that many business colleges made it required reading. That may very well be why it was later released in paperback (ISBN 0804731659). - BH

The Hemmings Motor News Book of PACKARDS

Drive reports,competitor comparisons, specifications and historical reviews of 14 Packard models from 1928 to 1958 taken from Hemmings Special Interest Autos magazine. Tests include a 1928 526,1930 734 Speedster,1932 Light Eight,1937 Six, 1947 Custom Super Clipper, 1948 Station Sedan, 1950 Deluxe Eight,1951 250,1951 300, 1953 Caribbean, 1956 Caribbean, 1956 Patrician, 1958 Packard and finally a Packard by Vignale. Other features include a Packard Model Year Production and other Packard Books List, Packard Engine List and a Packard Club and Specialist List - clipper47

The Henney Motor Corporation: A Complete History

The only definitive book ever published on Henney and its fabled relationship with Packard. - BigKev

The Packard 1942-1962

NOTE: This example came without dust jacket, and the cover is plain black. The image provided here is from title page. - BH

The Packard Guide

This illustrated book comprises sections including a brief history of Packard (162 pages), methods for assessing the value of a Packard, and a value guide for all models from 1899 to 1958 (the value section is of course well out-of-date). A small companion publication, soft-cover and spiral bound and titled "The Packard Identification Guide" is a useful and handy reference for identifying chassis and body style numbers, wheelbases and engines, again for the period 1899-1958. - Owen_Dyneto

The Packard Identification Guide Volume One, Second Edition

The book encompasses a section on ID numbers which in most cases are motor numbers and also a detailed explanation of numbering systems with an estimate of the numbers made in each major series. Another section deals with the various models and body styles within each model series followed by the model name, body number, body style, wheelbase and particular information about the engine used (no. cylinders, bore and stroke, no. of main bearings, displacement and horsepower). - clipper47

The Packard Proving Grounds

This DVE, narrated by Ed Hermann (accomplished actor, historian and Packard owner) gives a history thru images and interviews of the Packard Proving Grounds with insight into the cars and the testing methods, as well as the efforts to acquire and restore the facility and make it accessible to the hobby, probably the only Packard corporate facility/structure to be saved in this manner. The production of the DVD was donated and to the Foundation and the profits from the sale go to the benefit of the Proving Grounds. - Owen_Dyneto

The Packard Story (The Car and the Company)

This book appears to have gone through several printings and more than one edition and publisher (and ISBN). The title is still available for purchase from Hibernia Auto Restorations. - BH

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