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PackardBaker Wagon: 1957 Packard Clipper

57 packard wagon 1

Rare and unusual, this 1957 Packard Clipper Station Wagon is in nice condition and appears to have not been repainted. This being a ’57 model means this Packard was built in South Bend, Indiana at the Studebaker plant, and that it is quite a rare specimen to find. Flaunting a Studebaker V8, this would make a nice driver, and also a nice drive and restore candidate. Priced at $8,500 we think this would be a unique opportunity for someone. Find it here on craigslist out of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

57 packard wagon 2

The engine and bay don’t look too shabby, as this car looks to be more driver oriented. A good cleaning would go a long way in the bay of this Packard. The engine is listed as being rebuilt, and the car looks be a suitable driver, we just wish it had air conditioning!

57 packard wagon 3

Listed as an older restoration, the interior shows pretty well. The color combination, and layout is very nice, and looks like something you may have found from the factory. Even the dash has been wrapped, really tying in the interior. The dashboard and its components look good, with the addition of some ancillary gauges. Overall this Packard is in nice shape, and looks to be a preservation project. The exterior looks to wear a factory style paint scheme, and the paint looks a little dry. There is some rust in the driver side rear quarter. We are thinking this Packard may have spent most, if not all of its life in New Mexico, Which would explain the restored interior, and the exterior appearance. Although this certainly could be an older restoration all together. From what we can see of the chrome, it looks to be all there and in nice shape as well. How cool are the dual antennas like an old boat setup?

57 packard wagon 4

Having interesting looks, rarity, and drivability, we think this is one cool station wagon for someone! The color may not be our favorite, but we appreciate its authentic layout. This station wagon would benefit greatly from a good cleaning, and a solid buff job. It would also be great to add some form of vintage air conditioning, making for a great family hauler. Folks at car shows would certainly be curious to know what you just pulled up with. Where are our station wagon fans? Would you take on this rare Station wagon? What would you do with this late model Packard?

Comments

  1. Avatar Zaphod

    How could you not have seen the driver door repair? Sticks out like a boil.
    This is an horrible design: badly proportioned clumsy overly chromed in it’s sluttish appeal.
    Not every old car is worth a fortune, this one should be crushed

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jesper

      Ok you dont like it, but maybe other BF. readers do.
      Not the best looking, but for shure rare.

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    • Avatar Kenny

      Wow! Why not tell us how you REALLY feel?

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  2. Avatar Ikey Heyman Member

    I like the weird cars, the orphans, the failures (Edsel), models that bankrupted companies (Hudson Jet), cars that may have been before their time (Crosley), and yes even the last gasp Packardbakers. But this one doesn’t do it for me, something seems funky about it, I’ve seen better examples out there.

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  3. Avatar Hoos Member

    I like it. I’d clean it up, take care of any mechanical needs and drive it. A/C might be a nice add on later.

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  4. Avatar Pfk1106

    Rare with big fins and a lot of chrome. I like it for its uniqueness. That driver door is either a bad paint job, or bad bondo, or both. If it’s the former, maybe some compounding will help even it out.

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  5. Avatar whippeteer

    I love the dock sized rear bumper. Add vintage air and you have a fun summer cruiser. Well, for the next 2 1/2 weeks…

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  6. Avatar Fred W.

    Studebaker/Packard was simply running on fumes at the time and trying to extend the life of this body without a complete restyle. I absolutely love the dash! No old car in decent condition should be crushed.

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    • Avatar Jesper

      Right said Fred…..

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  7. HoA Howard A Member

    Man, I don’t know what to correct about that person’s post 1st. Granted, it’s a mere shell of what a Clipper used to be, but crush it? I’ll agree it may not be the best example of a Packard, and it doesn’t even have the traditional “tombstone” front end, but historically, this is probably one of the most interesting cars of the period. Nearing the end of such famous car makers in one package, well, to me that’s pretty important. ( I heard the Lark never had a chance in saving Studebaker, even though, it sold relatively well)) I like it, and would be proud to show this car off. Dripping with history, and probably a pretty good runner, and it’s a wagon, as well. Neat find.

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    • HoA Howard A Member

      And just look at those “Dagmar’s”. Hubba, Hubba. :0

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  8. Avatar Vince Habel

    Supercharger is missing. A/C was not available.

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    • Avatar Dave

      Actually it was. Just not on the ‘Country Sedan’ (a.k.a. wagon)

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    • Avatar Bill McCoskey Member

      Vince – You are correct. The ’57 Clipper wagon was the ONLY station wagon with a production Supercharger fitted as standard equipment. A/C was not available as it was a trunk mounted unit, In 1958 it was an underdash A/C unit. I went to college in a ’57, and I had a loaded ’58 sedan too.

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  9. Avatar socaljoe

    I agree it does look oddly out of proportion. Almost as if it was resized by some past customizer. I like it for it’s rarity and if it were closer to home I’d make an offer.

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  10. Avatar GRAY WOLF

    You have to appreciate the styling of that era! It needs to be saved and kept on the road. You are not going to see another at a car show. We won’t see this styling again,good or bad. A unique piece of history!

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  11. Avatar Jerry Koszut

    Without the Supercharger it’s not worth the asking price. I drove them when they were new and there’s a big difference in performance without it.

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  12. Avatar packrat

    Those Gothic Fins. Those Dagmars, somehow not nearly as graceful as the bumper bosoms on Harley Earl’s Cadillacs. Those staid round gages and that large vertical flat panel under the dash. THAT PAINT COLOR. What a completely awkward looking old crate–But let me assure you that I say that with complete affection. How many of these could’ve possibly been sold during the market depression of that era? I wouldn’t be a buyer at eight grand, but if some price wheedled low enough to satisfy the spouse and my tightwad bent were negotiated, I would be getting air conditioning (agreed, Brian), ignoring the driver’s door metal for now, seeking a stock of obsolete oil filter cartridges, and spot brushing the thing with rust stabilizer to rock it as a Frequent Driver. It may go at the asking price. I don’t know enough about the values of these to declare eight grand out of the question for something as hens-teethy as this. I remembering my first-hand experience of a Packard of this year in 1985 or so at a car lot (former Studebaker dealership) in a very muggy Natchez, Mississippi. A very sweet silver-haired lady in her nineties had taken a friend with her and driven her ‘had-from-new’ old black four door sedan with red accent stripe to the Studebaker Drivers’ Club meet at the local plymouth (formerly studebaker) dealership, whose older family owner was an old car guy and had a stack of tired bullet noses, larks, and one incongruous Edsel on the weedy back lot behind the old building. She said she still had her regular maintenance done at that establishment. The business still retained a lot of its small-town charm through all the marquees it had had shot out from under it (Studebaker, Packard, and I _think_ something like International Harvester). When I visited, it was a Plymouth dealership, and the place sported something less than a dozen new sedans for sale. I think the last economic downturn wiped out most of the remaining small MoPar dealers. You’d have to like people to get this, because it would spark conversations wherever you went.

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  13. Avatar Ed Bittman

    Only 869 wagons were made. I had two about 10 years ago. One was red/white and mostly restored,the other was gold/white and a parts car. All ’57 Packards were supercharged. I sold the red/white one to a lady in CA and the other to a street rodder who wanted the engine. Ed Dade City,Fl

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  14. Avatar Doc

    1st comment…. can you say preparation H?

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  15. Avatar Joe Haska

    WOW! Sometimes I don’t get peoples comments, they act like this 1957, and these cars are everywhere, and it just has too many negatives, they will just look around and find something better, maybe a nice Nomad, .really cheap
    I’m a Greybeard and long time Hot Rodder, old Fords, Roadsters ect. But I’m not blind, and I know there are allot of cool cars out there, and this is definitely one of them. I would like to have this car, about 10K, 30 days, and it would knock your socks off.
    I always here people say I want something different, well this is it!

    Like 0
  16. Avatar mlm

    Everybody’s taste is different.Just because it’s not your cup of tea means it needs to go to the crusher.This look like it would draw more than a few people at car shows from the usual ’55-57 Chevys and Ford T-Birds and muscle cars.I think this is one serious family hauler and I can imagine the looks on people’s face if they seen me driving this classic.

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    • Avatar Kenny

      You should look for the nearly identical one Wayne Carini bought on a previous episode of “Chasing Classic Cars”. Same color, even, as I recall. And if you don’t think they’re worth anything… pay attention to what he paid for his (admittedly far cleaner)example!

      Like 0

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