When Packard acquired Studebaker in 1954, the ambition was to build
a full-line American independent capable of taking on Detroit's Big
Three, with Packard at the summit and Studebaker supplying volume
beneath it. With production consolidated in South Bend for 1957,
the Clipper used Studebaker President underpinnings clothed in
unmistakably Packard ornamentation, with a fine-mesh grille,
Dagmar-tipped bumpers, and rear quarters reworked to carry Packard
taillamps. Built in small numbers over two short model years, these
final cars to wear a name Packard had carried since 1899 have
earned a devoted following.
The 1957 Clipper line ran to just two models, and the Country Sedan
wagon was by far the rarest of the pair. It rode on the 116.5-inch
wheelbase of Studebaker's President Broadmoor and drew its power
from the 289-cubic-inch V8, driving through the three-speed
Flight-O-Matic transmission. Only 869 Country Sedans left South
Bend, against 3,940 Town Sedans.
According to previous research, chassis number 57L3011 received a
full rotisserie restoration in 2002 at the hands of Bob Schmidt,
curator of the '57 Heaven Museum collection in Branson, Missouri,
and a specialist in restoring late-1950s Americana. It was finished
in the period-correct pairing of Lilac over Arctic White, a
combination that could hardly be more of its era, with a
color-keyed interior of linen tweed and lilac vinyl, a matching
lilac steering wheel, and the distinctive gold-finished Packard
brightwork. The car remained a highlight of the '57 Heaven Museum
until 2009, when it passed to new ownership.
Today the wagon presents as a high-quality restoration, complete
with a roof rack, full wheel covers, and wide whitewall tires. Few
of these final wagons survive in any condition, fewer still to this
standard, and the combination of scarcity, striking color, and
end-of-an-era significance ensures this Clipper will draw a crowd
wherever it is shown or driven.
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