1955 Packard Cars Fact Sheet

The new Packard OHV V-8 was standard for the entire model range, with a 320 CID version installed in the mid-price Clipper line. It made 225 HP @ 4600 RPM. The Clipper Custom and the Packard Line received a 352 CID version that developed 245 @ 4600 RPM and 260 @ 4600 RPM respectively. The upscale Caribbean received a 352 with dual 4-barrels and 275 HP @ 4800 RPM. See details HERE.

SERIES 5560 – The “Custom” was designed to go head to head with top of the line Oldsmobiles and Buicks. Sporting an engine larger than all except the Oldsmobile, the Super exuded the class and performance that had been missing since 1951. It featured chrome wheel discs, rocker panel moldings, and fender skirts as standard Clipper Custom equipment.

The Clipper Custom “Constellation” two-door hardtop had no skirts but had a chrome molding on the fender openings. A “Custom” in script was placed on the right hand side of the trunk. Interior materials ranged all the way up to the genuine leather that was used in Patricians, although the trim patterns varied between the two cars.

Two-tone Constellation hardtops came standard with a side molding treatment that gave a double color sweep effect. This was done by extending the lower front spear which ran from the upper bumper bar to mid-door on other Clippers, then in a downward curve toward the rocker molding, ending near the rear of front doors. The region below this molding was colored to match the roof and the panels above the upper rear side spear. It was a novel approach and could be ordered as an option on the Clipper Custom touring sedan.

SERIES 5580 – The Cavalier was gone, and only one 4-door remained, the Patrician. A two-door hardtop called the “400”, replaced the Pacific hardtop, and there was only one convertible – the Caribbean – which moved even further up the scale and competed with the Eldorado, Cadillac’s newest offering.

The senior Packards had the same shape front fenders and fascia treatment and the same grille opening as Clippers, but used a grid type grille insert. New features included wraparound parking lamps, wrap-around windshields, “Packard” in new style script on the rear fenders, and all new, more modern hood ornaments. The most striking feature on Packards were the all-new rear fenders with cathedral-shaped taillights. Somewhat flat, rounded tail fins were integrated smoothly into the rear fenders as well. At the leading edge of these rear fenders were vertical, simulated vent panels finished in chrome. Trim and decoration varied between models.

The 400 hardtop had “Packard” block letters on the hood, gold trunk ornaments, a modified and subdued pelican hood ornament, roof medallions and “Four Hundred” in script on the deck and front fenders. A straight spear of chrome ran from the corner of the upper grille bar, over the wheel opening, then across the door to the vertical faux vent. A second spear ran from the back bumper, over the fender skirt, straight to the front wheel housing. It touched the bottom of the vertical rear fender chrome “vent”. Thus, a rectangular panel was formed where the higher molding passed over the lower one. This allowed three-tone finish with one color on the roof and under the bottom molding; a second within the parallel moldings and a third on all other areas.

The Caribbean convertible had a twin-scoop hood with no ornamentation, except on the front edge of the scoops. A slick styling treatment was an overlapping, fender-over-fender treatment was seen at the rear of Caribbeans. The shorter of the two fenders was banded with a thin molding that dropped to gas filler door level, then ran straight to the headlamps. The longer fender dropped to the bumper exhaust pod, at which level another horizontal spear ran forward to the front wheel housing.

To achieve a three-tone finish, everything above the upper molding was one color; everything between the moldings plus the fender extension area was a second, and all the panels below the bottom molding were a third. Every Packard specific option, except air conditioning, and including dual outside mirrors and rear antennas was standard.

Against the treatments on the 400 and Caribbean, the Patrician was elegantly simple. It had one straight molding on the back fender which hit the vertical “vent” at right angles and a separate front molding was attached that ran straight from the upper grille bar edge to the rear of the front door.

A split-finned hood ornament was fitted as well as two-tone treatments that resulted in only a different color for the roof. Optional trim was offered, however, to give the Patrician look more like the 400. In that case, the higher molding was simply extended back to the chrome “vent”, thus forming a horizontal rectangle that was finished with the same color used on the roof. The rectangle also had “Patrician” in script placed inside it. All Patricians had “tin foil” side trim.

All three senior Packards came with rocker moldings, fender skirts, chrome wheel discs, the 352 CID OHV V-8, and Ultramatic Drive.

Clipper Custom V8. Overhead valves. Cast iron block. Five main bearings.
Displacement: 352 cubic inches.
Bore and stroke: 4.00″ x 3.5″.
Compression ratio: 8.5:1.
Horsepower: 245 @ 4600 RPM.
Torque: 355 ft. lbs. @ 2400.
Valve lifters: Hydraulic.
Camshaft timing: Intake & Exhaust: 250°; Lift: 0.374″; Overlap 32°.  Carburetor:
Carburetor: Rochester 4GC four-barrel Model 440823.

Packard Patrician and 400 V8. Overhead valves. Cast iron block. Five main bearings.
Displacement: 352 cubic inches.
Bore and stroke: 4.00″ x 3.5″.
Compression ratio: 8.5:1.
Horsepower: 260 @ 4600 RPM.
Torque: 355 ft. lbs. @ 2400.
Valve lifters: Hydraulic.
Camshaft timing: Intake & Exhaust: 250°; Lift: 0.374″; Overlap 32°.
Carburetor: Rochester 4GC four-barrel Model 440823.

Packard Caribbean V8. Overhead valves. Cast iron block. Five main bearings.
Displacement: 352 cubic inches.
Bore and stroke: 4.00″ x 3.5″.
Compression ratio: 8.5:1.
Horsepower: 275 @ 4800 RPM.
Torque: 355 ft. lbs. @ 2400. 
Valve lifters: Hydraulic.
Camshaft timing: Intake & Exhaust: 250°; Lift: 0.374″; Overlap 32°.
Carburetors: two Rochester Type 4GC four-barrel carburetors fitted as follows: (front) Model 476010; (rear) Model 476011.