Packard always marched to the beat of their own drummer. In 1947, that technique was still working, and this 1947 Clipper Deluxe Club Sedan is a prime example. It’s listed for sale here on Facebook Marketplace and is located in Waupun, Wisconsin. We know it runs because the first picture in the ad is a video showing it moving under its own power. More about the video later. The seller is looking for an optimistic $12,500 for the Packard. Thanks to Lothar for letting us know about this cool find!
I reviewed a lot of period Packard ads researching this post, and I’m struck by the tone they *all* take. Basically, Packard had used the “ask the man who owns one” slogan since 1901 when a catalog was requested from the factory. Packard ads were very sentimental, and this 1947 ad for the Clipper Deluxe actually spelled that out. The company certainly appealed to emotions rather than dazzling one with facts. While I was researching, I noticed none of the ads showed the two-door Clipper Deluxe, and that was for a good reason. When I researched production numbers, even though the Clipper Deluxe was the most popular Packard model line in 1947 with 23,855 produced, only 621 of those were the two-door fastback Club Sedan body style. So there can’t be many of these straight-eight-powered cars left!
Let’s look at this particular car a little further. I can’t see any significant rust in the few exterior pictures, although it’s plenty dirty. There’s some missing trim on that front corner, and the chrome plating leaves a lot to be desired in spots. And while it is a plus that the car runs and moves, to me, the video sounds like there’s either a severe rod knock or an exhaust blow at the head/manifold interface. Obviously the first one would be worse than the other! As the seller says, “At the intersection of rarity and desirability falls the subjective value. The value of this 1947 Packard is up to you, the buyer. Please make offers.” At least it appears they are open to lower offers, right?
I *think* the black rectangle on the driver’s side of the grille isn’t a break; it’s a piece of tape or something similar. I hope I’m right, because finding a replacement grille would be difficult. The poor state of the chrome plating is evident, however, by the peeling on the front bumper. The tan paint really doesn’t help when evaluating the body condition from these pictures.
The seller does a great job of including undercar photos, and what I can see confirms the ad’s statement of “surface rust on the frame only”. The seller also tells us that they have installed a new fuel tank, fuel lines, a rebuilt master cylinder, and a new battery. I’m a little worried about the brake system, though, as even though the master cylinder has been rebuilt, the seller specifies that more brake work will be needed. So I’m left in a bit of a quandary: does the engine noise disqualify this car from your want list, or would you be willing to take on whatever that fix is to own one of only 621 1947 Clipper Deluxe Club Sedans? Let us know in the comments below.
Tough to sell for what it’s going to cost to restore. GLWTS.
Waupun, you say? When I was a kid, Waupun was the only maximum security prison we knew of. Didn’t want to end up in Waupun, the old man would say.
The car? Out with the old, in with the new, and probably just as well. Don’t have to go radical, just a simple V8 would do, or that RAM 3.0 CHAIN DRIVE DOHC, twin turbo in line 6, THAT’S a step in the right direction. I know it’s new, but winter is coming and the inevitable pileups, should be plenty to choose from. Not that the straight 8 was a bad motor,,for 1947, this car is retro enough looking, but needs updating for any appeal. Packards were some of the best engineered cars, thanks, in part to their war efforts, but as the years drift by, fewer people will know that.
And it’s “Ask the PERSON that owns one” for today, amazing how that “man” thing was really centered around men, and womens views on those issues didn’t matter. We’ve come a long ways in that regard, thank goodness.
Agreed on the “PERSON” comment, Howard, it’s good to hear from you!
Even in this state, the ’47 is so much prettier than the ’48. That does sound like a lot for the condition, though.