WOW! For a Packardite, spending a few hours

show car in 1954 - the Panther-Daytona. Five Panther-

with a one of a kind Packard show car is an over the

Daytona show cars were produced.

top experience. The Request had been sent by its pres-

As I walked around the car, at first glance, it

ent owner (Ralph Marano) to the Speedwell Garage for

looks a lot like the 1955 Four Hundred ­ except, of

some mechanical work and as luck would have it, MAP

course, that great vertical grill that harkens back to

Director Bill Johnson, our Activities

Packard's heyday. On closer inspection

Out a Historic

Director Susan Johnson and I were

however, there are some subtle differ-

able to arrange our schedules

ences. The tail lights are different,

to make the trek to see Ross

the side light pieces are not pro-

Miller and this fabulous piece

duction, nor are the emblems on

of Packard history. Under the

the c pillars standard. The general

guise of going to check on

shape of the quarter panels are

the progress of Bill's '56 Ex-

somewhat different. The pro-

tended Cab Pack-up, we

file is flatter and the depth is

arrived shortly after the

less than production.

center grill had been re-

Ross Miller told

installed and Ross' work

me that the distinctive grill

was about done.

center section weighs about 90

You may know that the

pounds. Enough weight to con-

Request was Packard's show

firm that this was a show car and

car for 1955. The name came

not a production model.

Request

from the reported large number of

It looks a little tired in spots but noth-

customer "requests" for a car with

ing detracts from the fact that it is one

the classic Packard vertical front

beautiful car! I am certainly glad that Mr.

grill. The car is basically a 1955 Packard 400 with a new

Marano has the car and will keep it for the future of our

hood, the vertical grill, and the two part front bumper.

hobby.

It was equipped with a set of Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire

My thanks to Ross, Bill, and Susan for

wheels and had a bronze and white color scheme both

helping me to have a peek at one of the last Packard

inside and outside. The car was well received when

show cars. I keep thinking about what might have been.

it was shown and it was rumored that Packard would

Oh, by the way, it performs and rides just like a

produce a car with the vertical grill but nothing like it

Packard should.

was forthcoming. A Detroit firm, Creative Industries,

-- Editor

built the Request. They had produced another Packard