The Citizens Motor Car Company

Planes, trains and automobiles.  We have shared our experiences with the first two (though there were few trains), now the third and least expected.  On our 2009 trip through Indiana, we had a great time at the Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg Automobile Museum north in Auburn and thought that was the ultimate in car museums.  Well, we can now add The Citizens Motorcar Company to the list of outstanding car museums and this one had a most enthusiastic docent who gave us background on these lovely cars.

This museum is in the Packard Dealership Building opened in 1917 and is, obviously, dedicated to the Packard which was founded in 1899.  In spite of the familiarity of those other car names, Packard sold 90% of the luxury cars of the early 20th century.  More than fifty cars await admiration in the Art Deco showroom, service department and adjacent pavilion.

Videos in the various restored offices tell of the history of the Packard, personal stories of current owners of these treasured cars and even how to train to be a Packard salesman.

Their slogan was “Ask a man who owns one,” touting that these cars were all about style and making celebrities like Al Jolson, Clark Gable, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks and Salvatore “Lucky” Luciano show their success.  Even the Japanese royal family owned 10 Packards in 1931.

The starting price in the 1920s was $2600, almost twice the price of standard American made cars.  It was the third “P” with the Pierce Arrow and Peerless in the American luxury car market.

Radiator/ hood ornaments hinted at speed and exuded style.   The Cormorant/Pelican came from the Packard family crest.

Goddess of Speed.

This cap opened to add water on an early car.

Steering wheels, interiors, grille, tail, and wheels all were stylized.

These cars looked like they were ready for the road, if you had the money to buy one.  This is a 1928 Touring Limo.

 A 1938 Super 8 Sport cost $3845 during the Depression.

 In contrast, a 1930 Boat Tail Speedster cost $5200.

Or in 1914 you could have a Model 48 Runabout for only $4750.

They also built trucks.

A Packard engineer was part of the design team that created the L12A Liberty airplane engine for WWII.  Packard was among the car manufacturers that turned to military manufacturing during the war.

Wouldn’t our grandson love the child’s car?

Poster art was also of the art deco era.

During the Depression Packard fought to stay alive by building more middle priced cars.  In the 1940's and '50s, Packard was losing the luxury market and having problems competing in the middle price market.  They ceased production in the late '50s.  This was the last Packard, a 1958 Hawk which was a prototype and never went into production.

Now we just have to upgrade the cars in our garage.