Since 1953 Packard had been keeping their medium priced Clipper line clearly separate from the luxury Packard models. This 1956 Packard Patrician sat firmly in the latter camp.
This Dover White over Mojave Tan Patrician is a lovely example with just over 58,000 actual miles.
After a big restyle in 1955 there weren't too many changes to the external appearance of the '56 models except a new grille and a few trim changes. The reality was that this was the last year of the true Packards. They were only to last a couple more years and the '57 and '58 cars were really re-badged Studebakers.
Rear view
Inside is the stunning light copper cloth and dark copper cloth combination. They were all new fabrics and fabric designs for the 1956 model year were the most striking and luxurious that Packard had used so far.
Dazzling new interiors for 1956
The instrument panel is a work of art although similar to the 1955 offering. The machined look looks every bit its luxury image and is absolutely full of round dials and knobs with everything located within a tight space behind the steering wheel.
Beautiful dashboard
Under the hood sits a 374 cubic inch, high compression overhead valve V8 outputting 290 horsepower. It was a new, larger engine for 1956 and came standard on the Patrician and 400 and was paired with a Ultamatic Drive automatic transmission.
374 cubic inch V8
Options / Extras on this Packard Patrician
Option | Price |
|---|---|
Fresh-air heater-defroster, under seat heater | $131 |
Wonderbar signal seeking radio. 3-way tuning, electric antenna & rear speaker | $135 |
Hydraulic power steering | $115 |
Power brakes | $39.80 |
Electric window lifts | $108 |
Electric 4-way power front seat | $70 |
800 X 15 4-ply white sidewall tubeless tires | $39 |
SOLEX shaded glass | $45.20 |
Handbrake signal light | $6 |
Electric door locks | $30 |
Anti-freeze permanent type | $7 |
Packard sold a total of 3,775 Patrician 4-door Sedans for the 1956 model year. They were relatively expensive cars sitting around the same price as a Cadillac Sedan at $4,160 base price. The total cost of this car was $5,021 including $175 for shipping. See options table above for the accessories that were ordered with this car.
This Packard is currently for sale on eBay. (follow the link for even more photos)