Our 1938 Packard Twelve 1607 Club Sedan was not only one of the most prestigious American automobiles of its day, it was exported new to France for the family of Maurice Maeterlinck, the 1911 Nobel Prize–winning dramatist, poet, and essayist.
This is a question often asked by our visitors. The answer is yes, but not every Packard was tested at the Packard Proving Grounds after Packard built another testing track just outside of its plant in Detroit.
The Packard Proving Grounds was more than a vehicle testing site – it was home, and a chapter in the lives of those who lived and worked there.
The Packard Proving Grounds was more than a vehicle testing site – it was home, and a chapter in the lives of those who lived and worked there.
The Packard Proving Grounds was more than a vehicle testing site – it was home, and a chapter in the lives of those who lived and worked there.
Our goal is to lead up to our 100th anniversary in 2028. Following the timeline that the Vincent family lived in the Lodge allows us to recognize the years of 1928 to 1942.
On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, leading France and Great Britain to declare war against Germany. Thus began WWII.
America was hesitant to get involved after suffering many losses during the Great War, enduring the Spanish Flu, and still struggling through the Great Depression.
Packard produced only one four-door Senior Sedan in 1956 and that was the Patrician. Its factory introduction was held on November 3, 1955.
The Patrician’s body styling included a redesigned grille that had a mesh-type insert with a gridwork of vertical and horizontal chrome bars placed against it. The headlight hoods were extended to give a brow look. And, the bumper guards were moved directly under the headlights.
The first thing that one will notice upon entering our museum at the Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site is the 38’ by 10’, eight-ton race boat built by racing legend Garfield Arthur Wood. Its impressive size with four huge Packard engines jutting out of the top instantly draws you in to take a closer look.
This race boat represents a significant piece of our local history and is significant to world history in terms of what an advancement it was in mechanical power.
