Hershey 2024
1955 Packard Caribbean
The William Boucher Collection
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$82,500 USD | Sold
| Hershey, Pennsylvania
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- Believed to be one of 500 built for the 1955 model year
- Packard’s last prestigious model; rare, luxurious, and desirable
- Finished in White Jade, Fire Opal, and Onyx
- Equipped with power windows, seat, top, steering, and brakes
For over 50 years, Packard had been one of America’s top luxury car manufacturers, with its products holding a status unprecedented among automobiles of the worldwide elite. Sadly, all of that would end by the late 1950s. The company’s last prestigious, low-production offering was the Caribbean convertible of 1955 and 1956.
This top-of-the-line model had been completely redesigned for 1955, and at $5,932, the Caribbean was breathtaking in more ways than one. All cars were equipped with a 275-horsepower, 352-cubic-inch V-8 with dual four-barrel carburetors, topped by the iconic “batwing” air cleaner. Unique features of the model included standard three-tone color schemes, a full leather interior, a striking ultra-deluxe dashboard layout with a gold-tone textured insert and two-tone steering wheel, and a host of standard amenities. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a mere 500 examples were produced in 1955.
This Caribbean convertible on offer is one example of these rare and desirable cars from the firm’s final years. It left the factory finished in the scheme that can still be found on the car today, with a White Jade, Fire Opal, and Onyx exterior and a matching white/black/red leather interior. The Caribbean is equipped with a driver mirror and power seat, windows, convertible top, steering, and brakes. The interior additionally features a clock and radio.
Offered now from the Boucher Collection, this Packard benefits from a well-preserved older restoration that has retained lustrous brightwork and deep color in the paint. The leather throughout the cabin likewise appears to show very little wear. Bolstering the quality of this work, two medallions are affixed to the front grille noting a Senior National First Prize in 2000 and a Grand National winner, First Prize in 2001 from the Antique Automobile Club of America. Of note, the engine block’s number stamping indicates that the unit powering the car was swapped in from a 1956 model.
An immensely handsome and rare automobile, this Caribbean is truly a special opportunity to acquire Packard’s top-of-the-line model for 1955.