1946 Catalog

Immediately after WWII, the country was hungry for any new car! Packard (like others in the business) was fortunate just to be able to bring out models that were essentially copies of their pre-war offerings. In 1946, Packard did not offer a convertible, an automatic transmission, power steering or brakes. Its designs were based on the pre-war Clipper (sketched by Darrin). Click on the links at the left to thumb through the pages of the 1946 Consumer Catalog. Enjoy a glimpse back some sixty years to a time when the future was to be embraced, the past to be quickly and painlessly forgotten (if possible). Compare the copy in the catalog to the advertisement of 12/17/1945.

The Packard Deluxe Clipper pictured below is model 2101-1612, on a 120" wheelbase with a 125HP straight eight engine. The four door sedan weighed 3,635 lbs. and listed at $1,869. By comparison, the Packard Super Clipper 4Door Touring Sedan (Model 2106-1622 on a 127" wheelbase) weighed 4,065 lbs., some of the extra weight coming from the 165HP straight eight engine. The model 1622 listed at $3,046 (almost doubling the cost of the vehicle compared to the 1612), the extra cost coming from the use of the best carpeting and upholstery materials as well as the upgraded engine and chassis.