Hood ornaments need to make a comeback. The 1940s and 1950s brought some of the most extravagant hardware to the hoods of passenger cars, and this car had its own front-end flair.
The Pick of the Day is a 1946 Packard Clipper Deluxe listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. (Click the link to view the listing)
“I believe this is the finest 1946 Packard in existence,” the listing states. “The Champagne Gold paint is in excellent condition and gleams in the sunshine.”
The first Clipper was built in 1941 and last one in 1957. Between those years, there were some starts and stops to production. Originally named after a type of sailing ship, the Clipper was brought to market with somewhat poor timing, just a year or so before domestic automobile production was halted for World War II. It had a 127-inch wheelbase and was known for having the widest production car on the market, selling for about $1,400 and competing with cars like the Chrysler New Yorker and the Lincoln Zephyr. For one model year only (1956), the Clipper was marketed as a standalone lineup of cars.
This Champagne Gold 1946 Clipper rolled off the assembly line in Detroit shortly after post-war civilian automobile production resumed. It reportedly lived its life in Nevada, California, and Texas. The seller states that there is no rust on the body or undercarriage, and it looks elegant with a set of wide whitewall tires. The predominant feature of the nose is a bird that was based on the original Packard family crest. While some people refer to it as a swan, it’s actually an aquatic bird called a cormorant.
Appointments continue on the inside where a unique 110-mph speedometer is laid out by increments of one through eleven and the passenger compartment is lined with bird’s eye maple wood. Under the hood, power for the 1946 Clipper came from a 356cid inline-eight that was rated at 165 horsepower. The listing states, “The engine is sound and starts and runs smoothly.”
Worth noting: the Packard brand eventually became part of the Studebaker-Packard Corporation beginning in 1954 and the Packard name was phased out after 1962. The plant continued to produce cars until 1966 and has been defunct ever since. This 1946 Clipper is an attractive and well-preserved example of a forgotten automotive nameplate.
“It has been shown in car shows and always received a great deal of attention and compliments,” the listing concludes. The seller is asking $38,500.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Looks like a real clean machine, a postwar Packard Clipper that’s pretty darn rare in that condition! I had a neighbor with a PackardClipper two tone blue and white, must have been slightly newer model like a 1950 but what a tank!
We ‘d grab on to it and he’d pull all us kids through the snow! Sometimes there’d be like 8 kids hanging on the back bumper sliding through the neighborhood ! What fun!
I have a 51 Packard convertible with the same hood ornament, a Cormorant.
Since I heard that the hood ornaments were sold in dealerships to help you “upgrade” your ride, I’m not sure if that’s the one that came on it!
Practically, I would hate to be a pedestrian meeting one of those bids!
I’m pretty careful where I park, because I’m more concerned that it might become a necklace ornament!!