‘Twas a Night Before Christmas 1939 at Packard Proving Grounds
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.
Entries by Kim Parr
Packard Rosies on the Homefront
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’s Popular Patrician
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 Packard Powered Miss America X
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.
Work to Win; Honoring Our Packard Rosies
President Franklin D. Roosevelt established a War Production Board (WPB) in January 1942, just a month after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The newly developed board allocated resources, implemented price controls, and set production quotas to encourage workers to produce more goods during the war. Packard and its employees took it to heart as their duty to do all they could to help their soldiers fighting overseas.
Perking Up Packard with a Penchant for Paint
Edward James Paul Cunningham, the young manager of the trim and color styling studio for Packard, introduced this unique and stylish Carnation with Amethyst scheme for a limited number of Pacific hardtops. He joined Packard at the age of 24 in 1952 with a mission to encourage Packard into adopting brighter, trendier colors.
Chief Aeronautical Engineer Captain Lionel Woolson
Born in Los Angeles, Woolson made his way to Detroit to eventually become an engineer for the Packard Motor Car Company. He developed aircraft engines that were used in several record-breaking speed planes.
Packard Proving Grounds: Fulfilling the Need for Regulating Testing and Testers
Regulation of automobile testing and testers, along with the need to get off the busy streets of Detroit, led Packard to the Proving Grounds.
Lucile Vincent mistress of the Packard Proving Grounds
Lucile Vincent, wife of the PPG’s superintendent, Charles Vincent, was busy raising her three daughters within the beautiful lodge built by Albert Kahn. But, what do we know about Lucile?
