After surviving the Great Depression and World War II, the Packard Motor Car Company needed a car that would reestablish its once-prestigious perch atop the American luxury car market. For 1953, Mitchell-Bentley, of Ionia, Michigan, was sent 750 standard Packard convertibles, which they customized into a new, limited edition droptop, to be dubbed the Caribbean. With its highly distinguished design and luxurious appointment, including standard power everything, full rich leather interior, three-way radio with power antenna, and five Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels, the Caribbean came to represent the penultimate expression of Packard quality, luxury, and style.

The model continued into 1954 with newly restyled headlamp rims, chrome trim added to the hood scoop, and lowered rear wheel housings, as well as two-tone paintwork, “Caribbean” script added to the rear fenders, and side moldings that swept off the beltline and slipped below the crest of the rear fenders into a distinctive taillight treatment.

This 1954 Caribbean convertible is offered from the Richard L. Burdick Collection. The top-of-the-line Packard for 1954, this car is finished in a superb two-tone blue over white and presents beautifully throughout. Nineteen fifty-four marked the final year of the original Caribbean design, of which only 400 were made. As a result, the 1954 models are the hardest to find of the first generation Caribbeans. This example, with its attractive presentation and countless luxury features is sure to impress.