James and William Packard built their first automobile in Warren, Ohio in 1899. By 1903 the company had moved to Detroit, but Packard remained an important part of Warren business for the next 100 years.
Packards were always known for their very fancy hood ornaments. Today the museum boasts some scaled up versions.
The museum has a nice collection of automobiles.
Packard built cars up until the 1950s.
They were known as luxury automobiles, rivaling even Rolls Royce at one point.
Packard maintained a business in Warren – Packard Electric. Today it is Delphi.
The museum has expanded considerably in the last 10 years, thanks to a government grant.
Mannequin models add to the feel. Note on the back wall the wiring harnesses that Packard Electric would’ve made.
The famed hood ornaments.
They don’t make them like they used to.
Note the similarity to the earlier art piece.
While most were private vehicles, they did make commercial vehicles as well.
I can see Clark Gable driving this down Hollywood Boulevard with the top down.
The newer rag tops didn’t quite live up to the previous one.
A final look at the hood ornaments.
The Packard Museum in Warren is nice, however the privately owned one in Dayton in the former Packard Dealership has a nicer, and larger collection, and the architecture and detail of the dealership adds to it.
However if you find yourself in Warren, this museum is a good place to spend an hour or two.
RDZ Photography 