OLD CARS: Caribbean was Packard’s personal luxury car

Article content

The 1954 Packard Caribbean owned by Marg and Terry Metcalf is a rarity. Only 400 units of the expensive convertibles were produced for the 1954 model year. Only into its second year of production, the 1954 Caribbean was among the most expensive of Packard automobiles for that year, listing for $6,100 (US).

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

OLD CARS: Caribbean was Packard’s personal luxury car Back to video

That a Caribbean of any year would be spotted at the Chatham RetroFest car show in May is amazing. Caribbean was a personal luxury car produced by Packard from 1953 to 1956. For the first three years, it was offered as a convertible only; for its fourth and final year, Caribbean could also be ordered as a two-door hardtop.

Caribbean was Packard’s response to Detroit’s impulse to build a personal luxury car for an emerging group of drivers who had loads of money to spend and who wanted something different. GM had produced three such special automobiles for 1953, as convertibles only – Cadillac Eldorado, Buick Skylark and Oldsmobile Fiesta. They were expensive and exclusive. But only Skylark was built for more than one year, and that was for 1954 only.

Over at Ford, its two-seater Thunderbird was unveiled in the fall of 1954. At the same time, Ford was establishing a new division, Continental; its only model, the Mark II, would be built for only 1956 and 1957.

Chrysler Corporation was busy planning for its breakout 1955 model year, and among its new offerings was the Chrysler 300, a two-door hardtop “banker’s hot rod” that had a Hemi engine producing 300 horsepower.

And so, Packard’s Caribbean was in good company.

But Caribbean’s mission was more than to just fill a niche within a new automotive segment. Its goal was to help restore the shine to Packard brand and help the public remember what Packard had once stood for.

The Caribbean’s origins can be traced back to 1951 when the president of the Henney Company of Freeport, Illinois wanted to expand his business relationship with Packard.

Russell Feldmann’s company had been a long-time supplier of car bodies for Packard and thought that a low-volume “sports” model might appeal to the company. He had designer Richard Arbib submit a proposal in late 1951. The result was a car called the Pan American. It was based on a stock 1951 Packard Series 250 convertible.

Feldmann’s pitch aligned with some of the thinking already happening within Packard’s executive boardroom. Packard’s leadership pondered the possibility of using Italy’s Abarth studio for a new sporty model, but ultimately chose the Pan American. Feldmann’s company was given only six weeks to deliver a model, in time for the New York International Motor Sports Show in late March 1952.

The response to the Pan American concept was such that Packard decided to offer a limited production of what eventually became the Caribbean.

There were some changes to the Arbib design. The Caribbean would, for example, become a full-size, two-door convertible large enough to seat six adults.

Tasked with providing a styling facelift for Caribbean was a young man by the name of Richard Teague. He would later become better known as American Motors’ chief stylist, responsible for such cars as the Javelin, Hornet, Gremlin and Pacer.

Teague made some minor changes that helped set the Caribbean apart. He opened the four wheel openings, molded in the taillamps that were being used on the senior Packard models, placed bright chrome on the beltline and wheel openings, inserted a “continental” or exterior spare tire, and used wire-spoke wheels. Teague also chose to keep the Pan-American’s air-scoop hood.

The interior of the new Caribbean was trimmed in luxurious leather.

There were very few options on the Caribbean. Standard equipment included a heater and windshield defroster, power windows, power adjustable front seat, power steering, and “Easamatic” power brakes. Optional was a signal-seeking radio with antenna and the Solex tinted glass.

Power came from Packard’s well-known 327-cubic-inch straight-eight engine, as used in the 250 model.

Packard’s relatively new Ultramatic self-shift transmission was an option.

The Packard Caribbean was a very clean-looking new car that sold relatively well against its rarified competition – and despite the fact it was among the most expensive at $5,200 US. Packard sold 750 Caribbean cars for 1953. By comparison, Cadillac sold 532 of its special Eldorados, while Oldsmobile sold only 458 Fiesta cars. Buick sold the most of the four, at 1,690 Skylarks.

There were few changes to the 1954 model. Perhaps the most noticeable was a return to a conventional wheel housing for the rear wheels, but there was more chrome, and two-tone paint combinations were available.

Packard’s Ultramatic transmission became standard equipment. New was an optional four-way power seat.

Packard continued with its straight eight engine; it would be the last year, as 1955 would see the introduction of an all-new V8.

Only 400 Caribbean cars were sold for the 1954 model year. It’s difficult to explain why, but there are two immediate suggestions. The cost of purchase was outlandishly expensive at $6,100. In that era, a modest house could be purchased for almost the same, at least in Ontario. As well, the lack of a V8 for 1954 was hurting Packard’s overall sales. A V8 had become the mark of progress for the Detroit-based automakers, and Packard wouldn’t have one until 1955.

Its new V8, however, was a 352-cubic-inch overhead-valve engine said to produce 275 horsepower. Packard was late in its V8 introduction but was hopeful it wasn’t too late.

At the same time, Packard re-engineered its automatic transmission to accommodate the new powerplant.

The additional power introduced an element of performance to the Caribbean. The previous model took 15 seconds to achieve 60 miles per hour, but the 1955 model would reach that mark in 11.5 seconds, and it achieved it while almost “floating” over even the most obscene road surfaces, thanks to a novel suspension system. Indeed, Packard’s new torsion-bar suspension system provided what some people have called the best-riding automobile of that era.

Teague was called upon to provide an update to the Caribbean’s styling. The car’s appearance was dramatically changed. New was a wrapped windshield, an eggcrate grill, twin radio antennas, beautiful “cathedral” taillights, and various scoops and scallops.

The car was several inches longer than its 1953 and 1954 predecessors, and like them, was available only as a convertible.

Sales were better than they had been, at over 9,100 units, but only 55,000 cars from the entire Packard fleet were sold, less than half of what had been built and sold only two years previously.

Packard and Studebaker were both having an extremely difficult time catching the eye of the new car buyer for 1955. The Big Three had all rolled out new and lavishly designed and well-powered automobiles for that model year, and were taking almost all of the spotlight.

Teague’s beautifully-designed 1955 Caribbean continued with few changes to 1956, but with a big exception – the car was now available as both a convertible and hardtop.

Sales dropped like a stone, however. Packard sold just 263 hardtop Caribbean cars, and slightly more (276) convertibles.

The 1956 Packard models are thought to be the last of the true Packards. Thereafter, from 1957 to 1959, the Packard line would share so many Studebaker attributes that any distinction between the two brands became difficult.