Vehicle Description
Available now is this beautiful example of a 1954 Packard Super
Clipper Panama wearing a 2 door hard top body dressed in a two-tone
red and black paint. This car is in great condition and has already
gone through a restoration about 8 years ago. This Packard is
powered by the straight 8-cylinder engine mated to an automatic
transmission. The interior has been refinished in black and red.
Upon joining Packard from appliance manufacturer Hotpoint in 1952,
president James Nance unveiled a new strategy for success. The plan
sought to distinguish the entry-level series from the larger
Packards, both visually and in prestige. Re-introducing the Clipper
name, he applied it to the least expensive Packards, although his
desire for a separate marque name was never fully implemented.
Clippers had simple trim, smaller engines, and fewer amenities,
while the uppermost Patrician series featured longer wheelbases and
more elegant ornamentation. For 1954, Packard lines were further
differentiated. The Clipper, while retaining the family grille,
received entirely new rear fenders and was offered in three
subseries to compete in the mid-priced market. Least expensive was
the Clipper Special, followed by Deluxe and Super Clippers. At the
top of the Clipper Super line was the Panama, a handsome hardtop
coupe. Just 3,618 were built. The Panama was powered by the
mid-size Packard straight eight, a 327-cu. in. version making 165
bhp.
