The Packard car was a gift from the Soviet government to Valery Pavlovich Chkalov for flying over the North Pole to America. The same cars were presented to the rest of the crew members who made a two-and-a-half-day nonstop flight — Georgy Filippovich Baydukov and Alexander Vasilyevich Belyakov.
The car belongs to those mid-range 6- and 8-cylinder models that brought the Packard company the greatest profit. At one time, this manufacturing company was no less popular than Rolls-Royce and was held in even greater esteem in America and Russia.
The Packard cars were especially favored by American presidents — Warren Harding, Herbert Hoover, and Franklin Roosevelt, who all drove different Packard models.
The history of the American automobile company began at the turn of the 20th century. As the legend goes, one day James Ward Packard purchased a car from a local manufacturer. The buyer was not quite satisfied with the design and finish of the vehicle. He wrote about this to the developer and offered suggestions for improvement. The latter replied by telling Packard to try and do better. Following this, James Packard, a graduate engineer, founded his own company and succeeded in car production.
In 1915, his firm released the popular 12-cylinder Twin Six. The Packard cars continued to dominate the automotive market well into the late 1920s, attracting interest with their technically advanced and subtle design.
In 1929, the famous Packard emblem, the pelican, appeared on car radiators. It was a tribute to the founder of the firm. During his lifetime, James Ward Packard chose an old English coat of arms with this bird as the symbol of the company. After his death, the cast brass pelican was used to commemorate him.
However, after a quarter of a century, despite the favorable situation in America, the company’s business began to decline. In 1954, the Packard company merged with the Studebaker corporation, but the latter’s financial situation turned out to be even worse, so there was not enough money to revive both companies. As a result, less than five years later, the Packard brand was phased out.
The car belongs to those mid-range 6- and 8-cylinder models that brought the Packard company the greatest profit. At one time, this manufacturing company was no less popular than Rolls-Royce and was held in even greater esteem in America and Russia.
The Packard cars were especially favored by American presidents — Warren Harding, Herbert Hoover, and Franklin Roosevelt, who all drove different Packard models.
The history of the American automobile company began at the turn of the 20th century. As the legend goes, one day James Ward Packard purchased a car from a local manufacturer. The buyer was not quite satisfied with the design and finish of the vehicle. He wrote about this to the developer and offered suggestions for improvement. The latter replied by telling Packard to try and do better. Following this, James Packard, a graduate engineer, founded his own company and succeeded in car production.
In 1915, his firm released the popular 12-cylinder Twin Six. The Packard cars continued to dominate the automotive market well into the late 1920s, attracting interest with their technically advanced and subtle design.
In 1929, the famous Packard emblem, the pelican, appeared on car radiators. It was a tribute to the founder of the firm. During his lifetime, James Ward Packard chose an old English coat of arms with this bird as the symbol of the company. After his death, the cast brass pelican was used to commemorate him.
However, after a quarter of a century, despite the favorable situation in America, the company’s business began to decline. In 1954, the Packard company merged with the Studebaker corporation, but the latter’s financial situation turned out to be even worse, so there was not enough money to revive both companies. As a result, less than five years later, the Packard brand was phased out.
