1956 Packard Caribbean | Jay Leno's Garage

The innovative torsion bar suspension was a swan song for the Packard company.
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1956 Packard Caribbean | Jay Leno's Garage

[@paulg427]

Jay: "Being an old man, I love driving an old man's car!". To us, you're not old Jay. You're just "unrestored"!

[@Steven_Edwards]

We can rebuild him, we have the technology. Get this man some cybernetic implants and stem-cells. Restomod-Jay.

[@pistolannie6500]

haaaa... just unrestored... ROFL

[@user-ov4mk9ox8y]

I'm in the back of one of these Packards and Mrs Mustad is holding my hand (I was in high school) She says in her Norwegian accent "he's not a very good driver, is he?" Rolling through stop signs slowly, I was glad I was the one in the TANK. if anyone hit us, the damage would be all on them!!

[@garyduham5482]

As a 73 years old man I just want to say thanks for your way of helping one’s like me to understand how cars work. I enjoy your program so very much. Keep up the good work and may you have many more years of sharing your knowledge with all of us, young and old. God bless.

[@sickjohnson]

Leave it to Jay to find a way to take all over 3 million of us cruising in such incredibly cool cars every week and teach us some real history. I think this fact speaks to the character of Mr. Leno.

[@karna6982]

Being from Sweden it's a delight to see all American 50's-70's cars during the summer. My neighbor's got one each who they take for a ride almost every day. There's alot of carmeetings every week during summer as well. In these days of recycling and environment they totally missed out of talking about taking car of old cars ❤

[@manofthehour6856]

This is why I love Jay Leno! He has real understanding, knowledge, and respect for the motorcar. These Packards were outstanding!!!!!

[@johncoops6897]

As a 60 year old Australian, that Packard is so amazing to me! What a fabulous looking vehicle, absolutely capturing the essence of 1950's America. What a time to be alive!

[@ditto1958]

It was a wonderful time to be alive… but tbh Packards and other luxury cars were rare back then. People drove Chevy, Ford, Pontiac, Doge and Plymouth cars. Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Chryslers, Lincolns… they were out of reach for most people back then.

[@neils5539]

Beautiful as you say, but super expensive! Jay said $6,000 in 1956, my parents bought a brand new house in 1957 for $9,000. You had to be making the big bucks to afford this.

[@DavidLopez-rk6em]

My favorite period of cars is 50s American cars. Theyre art on wheels

[@johnnymossville]

When the USA had confidence in itself. It showed in these beautiful cars.

[@christopherjohnson2422]

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator, $6000 in 1956 = over $65,000 today. Not cheap! But even cheaper cars looked really great in those days. I’ve rather partial to the 1957 DeSoto, which my grandfather drove. Love those six tailights!

[@thanksfernuthin]

It's like having a neighbor who's a cool old guy with lots of neat cars and he loves to show them off and tell you all about them. What a treat.

[@scottimusgarrett15]

The "Caribbean" script on the fenders is so cool. It looks like someone just wrote it out, and they cast it, instead of CAD and CNC. That car, overall, is such a brilliant example of post-war technology and styling, and a excellent example of Packard's swan song. And the tuxedo paint is just the icing on the cake. Thanks, Jay and crew for yet another excellently done episode! I'd love this one as a daily! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦

[@davidlanham99]

Tiki style!

[@oleogabalo]

"Tuxedo Paint" cool. Does that term already existed or did you just coined it?

[@scottimusgarrett15]

@@oleogabalo no, that term's been around for ages. It's a good one!

[@oleogabalo]

@@scottimusgarrett15 Cool. 👍

[@rayhapes]

How beautiful. So subdued by 50's standard. Its like a tuxedo on wheels in this color.

[@williamdeegan7840]

I hope you didn't lose your one rear seat cushion. It was moving around. What a fantastic car . I like the hooded headlights. They had more overhang than the '55's. Thank you for taking her out.

[@mockbattles]

Headlights similar to a Mercury of the era.

[@chrisgleason1196]

I was concerned about that for the last half of the video myself.

[@jezuzfreek777]

Jay is the best car enthusiast/collector ever. Some people have larger collections and some have more exotic collections but no one has such a wildly diverse collection. Jay's collection has to be my favorite.

[@majorfrost8206]

In 1969, a great year for car styling, I was 14 and could identify any car on the road, even going back to Nash, Willys, Hudson et al. Today it's a world of beige that looks like a sea of logo. Thanks for showing us what cars used to look like

[@Onemore59]

Jay Leno and his cars. Damn. A complete video history of the most interesting and important vehicles ever built. That is a hell of a legacy. His garage will be one of the most famous and visited museums in the world some day. People will make pilgrimages from all over the world. NYC. Miami. Grand Canyon. Las Vegas. Hollywood. Jay Lenos Garage.

[@ellesmerewildwood4858]

I hope that rear cushion didn't go flying out of the car, I hope you realized in time that it was coming loose and about to fly away. Truly beautiful car from an era when manufacturers actually concerned themselves with beauty and well as getting you from point A to point B.

[@denislesperance852]

The fact that seatback cushions were not latched in any way shows how little they actually cared about them...

[@houseofno]

Those aren't cushions. They're anti-tailgating devices.

[@michaelblum4968]

@@denislesperance852 It's odd they didn't at least sew on some straps with snaps, or something. "Our market research shows that no other brand has ever offered pillowfights in a convertible. Whaddya think, RJ?"

[@albertstadt9853]

13:55

[@ericbelletynee5448]

Yep at 13:53 the rear passenger cushion starts going, but the actual time that the cushion flies off is yet unknow because the cut to an external shot and when they cut back to an internal shot the cushion was gone to who knows where. So much for two-sided tape.

[@joeguzman3558]

Mr Jay Leno is not just collecting cars and motorcycles he's preserving automobile living history, it's a living museum everyone in the world should be very greatfal Jay is doing this for future generations.

[@Jamie-lw5sy]

Is Jay Leno walking like an old man? I love Jay he's a national treasure, it's sad to see him get old. 😢 All my heroes are getting old or dying.

[@user-rl6hy5lx7x]

I was fortunate back in 1976 , to ride in a '56 Packard ! This was the last year of the true Packard . They were considered a luxury car and were quite expensive even back then . These cars were built with comfort in mind and literally " floated" down the road ! Today Packards are a rare sight and highly cherished by collectors . Happy Motoring ! Mark E. Switzer

[@Tomatohater64]

Absolutely love Packard. Sorry to see them go in 1959. My uncle had a burgundy 1939 touring sedan. Rode flawlessly.

[@Tomatohater64]

@jdslyman True. No argument here. Jay was right when he said his 56 Carribean may very well have been the last real Packard ever made - or dam close to it.

[@ericvardek4108]

Prolly the greatest looking of all the late 50s luxo-barges: truly magnificent, especially in those colors. FABULOUS!

[@mediocreman2]

Pardon the ignorance, but what does prolly mean? Did you mean to use an English word, but your phone automatically corrected to something else? It's happened to me as well.

[@ericvardek4108]

@@mediocreman2 P-R-O-B-A-B-L-Y. Speaking in the vernacular. Good luck with the english language; 3 million words and counting.

[@basshead.]

@@mediocreman2 probably

[@gordonlutsch9461]

Prolly?

[@johncarder819]

My father was a "traveling salesman" at that time. He serviced New Mexico and the five surrounding states, running up 80,000 miles a year. He preferred the Lincoln to the Cadillac. He had a standing deal with the Lincoln dealer to trade in his car with 80,000 miles for the new one every fall. The world was a different place back then.

[@tomsmock7674]

And your father was making a very good living. Congratulations

[@tonycatman]

80,000 is insane. We used to have a fleet with 120 vehicles in. The highest miler did 50,000, and the second highest was about 30,000. Imagine the fuel cost if you tried to cover that many miles today.

[@Hvitserk67]

@@tonycatman 10-12 years ago I commuted Copenhagen-Oslo (the capitals of Denmark and Norway respectively) and with my previous BMW E46 318d Touring I drove a little over 100K kilometers (approx 70K miles) every year. This is a lot, but with a good car and good company benefits, it makes sense for a shorter period (in my case two years) to rise in the ranks. You find your niche where you can make a difference that others think is too much or too inconvenient.

[@kw9849]

@@tonycatman Hard to say. Fuel is more expensive, but a modern equivalent would likely be 3x as efficient overall.

[@bighands69]

@@tomsmock7674 The vast majority of Americans in that era made a good living.

[@my56chevy]

Mr Leno, I really enjoy all your vedios. I'm 72 and i love the cars from the 50's & 60 's they have so much character. I have a 56 Chevy 210 Sport Sedan that I recently purchased. Your Packard is such a beautiful car. I love all the chrome.

[@bumsharvest5493]

Jay, that sir, is one beautiful car. America really had their act together.

[@Tomatohater64]

Fabulous car!

[@alwaysbroke6533]

First sentence yes. Second not so much

[@pete1729]

Yes and no on that last part. I think cars like this Packard were challenging to maintain and were done at 100,000 miles.

[@mikegalvin9801]

@@pete1729 Even middle class dads traded in their cars every three or four years let alone guys who could afford these so lasting over 100000 miles probably wasn't a big deal back in I like Ike era.

[@matrox]

@@pete1729 I had 130 something thousand miles on my 69' 383 Roadrunner and could still leave a patch of rubber 15' long when I stomped it. My 67 Ford F100 stepside with a 352 had over 140k miles when I sold it in the mid 80s though the frame was starting rust underneath. Vehicles back then were great given the technology that did not rely on computers, or treated steel like today. Much better than the crap coming from over seas.

[@melodigrand]

The Packard 374 was the largest engine from any manufacturer in 1956.

[@PeterDad60]

My father had a 1956 Packard Clipper 4 door hardtop in Turquoise Blue and White and chrome everywhere! It also had the torsion bar suspension which always leveled the car when people got in and when they got out. In 1965 the son of the Chief of Police was driving at night without lights and with myself and my older brother and my father driving, Dad pulled away from our Country Village side street and into 25A, right into his path and he hit us hard. The Packard was a stoutly constructed automobile but the drivers side front fender got destroyed. My father kept the Packard for many many years in hopes of finding the replacement fender. His Packard had Power Steering and a Push button transmission and a strong engine with dual exhausts and power windows. It also has a wonderful hood ornament that really dressed up the car as did the valances/mud guards over the rear wheels. White wall tires too! My aunt purchased the 1955 version in brown and it also had a push button transmission. and my Grandfather also purchased a 1956 version that was not fully loaded. Also in Turquoise Blue and white. What I remember most about Dad's car was how eloquent and beautiful it was.- Peter age 72

[@natcalverley4344]

I was never a fan of late night shows so I did not pay much attention to Jay’s show. I however never miss a episode of Jays garage . I love his passion for automobiles and the way he is willing to share his knowledge ,perspective and his collection for all to see. He is a first class gentleman to share his prized possessions with us. Thank you sir.

[@robertphillips6296]

Jay, if you do nothing more than show us each and every vehicle in you collection you will be Golden. Everything else is above and beyond!

[@Henry-sk2dr]

"Gas was between.19 and .25 cents per gallon. ". Sigh. I'm 73 and remember that. Pardon me while I go lay down and have a good 😢.

[@rockets4kids]

25 cents in 1956 translates to $2.65 today. So aside from the recent hike gas was about the same price then as it is today.

[@clintonflynn815]

@@rockets4kids Thanks for pointing that out.

[@acmeopinionfactory8018]

Sampson delilah So, at .25 cents per gallon, you would have been able to buy four gallons of gas for one penny, is that what you're saying?

[@Henry-sk2dr]

@@acmeopinionfactory8018 get a life

[@rockets4kids]

@@clintonflynn815 Yup. It's a myth that gas was cheaper in the past when you account for inflation. I believe the cheapest gas of all time was circa 2000 when gas was $1/gallon. (I suppose 2000 is the distant past for some people, so for those people there would be some truth in the myth.)

[@joeguzman3558]

Back in 1991 I got a 1941 Chevy deluxe car , the daughter of the original owner sold it to me for $ 5 k , she said my father loved this car with a passion he never let anyone drive it never, every day after coming home from work in his car he will clean it check the oil and cover it up for the night so please take care of it and I give her the money she gives me the key and I drove off, on the way home I was thinking if he only knew a stupid drunk is diving he's car now, ( I was an alcoholic for many years but I don't even drink one beer today thank God for that) after about a year I sold it and who knows who's driving it or where that car is today, Jay Leno always say he's just the custodian of his cars for now but he's the best custodian of those cars because he makes them better than when he get them, God bless Jay Leno.

[@marvwatkins7029]

We had a '56 Packard in 2 tone blue. I remember us doing 100 mph + plus on the highways of Mexico the next year. It had a light blue interior with raised gold "filigree" and a foldout armrest in the back which evidently was considered a luxury back then. A great car.

[@robcreel4257]

The perfect land yacht. What a great car! It is a shame this was the end of the road for Packard. They had such beautiful cars.

[@azizhachimi8744]

What a knowlegeable and yet humble Man....Good for you Jay: our best wishes of health and long life!

[@21stCenturyTemplar.]

Wow, never saw it before but that is one of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen The dash like a Patek Philippe watch, the engine like a piece of art, really something special ! Jay keeps surprising with rare amazing stunningly beautiful cars!

[@rolfvandijk9101]

So nice seeing a Studebaker and Citroen Ds on the background. Topcars of my father who admired all Germans passing the frontier to Aachen and being admired with his wunder. Right now I follow in the aspiration of my father with my Peugeot 406 coupe . Just making a trip Netherlands to Portugal in my Pininfarina for the poor folks.

[@faerieSAALE]

That is a gorgeous Packard! The Caribbean especially was a stunningly beautiful model and certainly not common. Also, the Studebaker Hawk that year had a 350 Packard engine stuffed under the hood, making it a real factory-produced hot rod.

[@JeffDeWitt]

Just to pick a nit, it was a 352, and you could get the same dual carb setup on the Golden Hawk.

[@74Husky]

Packard was one of the early pioneers in V engine building. They supplied the majority of Merlin engines for most of the British Spitfires and and the US Mustang fighter planes in WW 2. Packard also built the engines for the US Navy PT boats. They also built quality marine engines for years. They were also building Jet aircraft engines at the end. So why Packard was so late to the table with their V8 car engines, I will never understand.

[@Digiphex]

Because the straight 8 was a better engine and ran smoother and quieter.

[@matrox]

Some of their engines were also in WW2 tanks.

[@davidpowell3347]

@@Digiphex I believe that excluding start up and development costs the Straight 8 was more expensive to manufacture.

[@exxusdrugstore300]

@@Digiphex It may have been smoother, but it was also extremely heavy and had a pretty poor power-to-weight. They could have designed an OHV head, but it would have been considered prehistoric by the time it was done. If anything, they should have started designing the V8 sooner.

[@mrdanforth3744]

Packard introduced an all new straight eight in 1948, a year before Cadillac and Olds introduced their OHV V8s. I don't know why they dragged their feet on a new V8, they must have thought their straight eight would remain competitive for a few years. In truth, they were not far behind in power and performance but were perceived as old fashioned and out of date. Partly this was a deliberate marketing decision. Many people in those days, who could afford a luxury car, would not be seen in a Cadillac. They were seen as too flashy, many people in middle America would sooner drive a Buick Roadmaster or Chrysler New Yorker. Or a Packard Patrician. Packard was after the steady, conservative luxury car trade in the upper medium price and high price brackets. In other words they were willing to concede Broadway and Hollywood to Cadillac, if they could have the rest of the country. This turned out to be a poor decision but that was not obvious for a few years. By then it was too late.

[@robinjames7903]

Hello Jay, I was envious after watching the video of your 55 Caribbean, and now I am even more so after watching this one about your 56. Your lack of specific knowledge of the workings of the torsion bar suspension and push button transmission can only mean that you have not had to endlessly work on them to keep them mobile. I have kept a few of these cars going and they can be troublesome. I am envious that your Caribbeans operate apparently without flaw. Congratulations. BTW there should be an unmarked toggle switch on the bottom left corner of the dash board to turn off the suspension for service, and can be used to set the rear at it highest point for driving over steep grades or driveways and not scaping the rear bumper ends. The delay in activation should be about 7 seconds so the motor does not react to every road bump, this delay is adjustable. There is a interrupt connected to the brake switch (most common failure) to shut the system off and stop the motor from reacting to brake dive. The cushions should have a strap with 2 snaps on each side. Sorry to be "that guy" but if info is not shared then it wont get passed down. Thanks for the videos

[@marclevesque3147]

Straps, that's what I was thinking, Packard would never deliver cars with dangling cushions, thanks for clearing that up, Jay made it sound also in his 55 review that the cars came that way, nope!

[@kikiems]

For sure you don't want to forget to flip that switch when jacking the car up to change a tire!!!

[@gaufrid1956]

1956. I was born, and Packard was done. Love that torsion bar suspension!

[@automatedelectronics6062]

You didn't mention that although this had a 2-speed automatic, it had a lock-up clutch in the torque converter which gave a true 1:1 drive ratio and functioned as a 3rd gear. Also remember that the 1955 Chrysler C300 only had a 2-speed automatic and it wasn't until the middle of 1956 that Chrysler introduced the push-button 3-speed Torq --Flite automatic, which was only available in Imperials and higher end Mopars. Eventhough the 1955 Chrysler C300 only had a 2-speed Power-Flite automatic, that didn't stop it from going over 125 mph.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

You are quite correct.

[@IDFK303]

Ultramatic Drive.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@IDFK303 Packard blew it with 55's "Twin Ultramatic". In 54, they reworked the Ultramatic to start off in 1st gear, but Packard thought it shifted to abruptly into 2nd, so they shrunk the High clutch for 55 for a smoother shift. Bad idea. The new smaller High clutch was prone to slipping under hearvy throttle upshifts.

[@dennytuma]

why is it a 2 speed when it has L H D?

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@dennytuma In Drive, it starts out in 1st then upshifts into 2nd. In High, it operates entirely in high gear, just the original Ultramatic and the Buick DynaFlow. In Lo, it stays in 1st, no upshift.

[@RedSoxDad01]

This is absolutely my favorite car of all time. My father had a 56 Packard. I remember vividly when he first explained to me how the torsion bar suspension worked. I could look at that car for hours. It was my fascination with the Packard that led me to becoming a mechanical engineer. Thank you so much for sharing this video.

[@tomdelisle8955]

The side profile with the slight curve along the top of fenders and doors is beautiful. Gosh Jay standing next to the car makes the Packard look huge.

[@maggs131]

I love how in most videos, somebody is yelling "hey Jay!!!" ❤

[@peterlucas2998]

Pretty cool, I worked on one of these when I was tire jockey for Sear's Auto in the 1990's. Seeing those giant starter motors do their thing was very impressive. As a life long gearhead I was also impressed by the the rear sway bar system or Watt linkage?. I'll just say both. The sway bar/Watt Links system is made of three parts: a left and right link and a center pivot bar that is attached to the underside of the frame. The system is designed to keep the rear axle centered under the car at all times regardless of body roll and/or pitch. Pretty awesome stuff for 1956 and still awesome today. There's a pretty good photo of the system at Schmitt & Co. classic car gallery. Or. you could, maybe, add, reedit and talk about it yourself, please. If not, I understand. You and your show are still the best. Keep up the good work.🙂

[@jst7714]

Sears Auto Center… I bet you moved a lot of those Roadhandler ties and Diehard batteries

[@peterlucas2998]

@@jst7714yea, since Die Hard was the only battery we sold. Not so much on the banana skins( road handlers) most of our customers were Michelin customers and the rest got upsold to Kelly or Yokohama and last but not least BF GoodRich GT with raised white letters.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Its not a sway bar or a Watt's Linkage, it is Packard's Torsion-Level suspension.

[@steverobson8827]

Gorgeous! I miss cars that don't look like every other car. I stopped watching the late show when you left. You had the warmth and humor that made the Show.

[@steverobson8827]

The Tonight Show, not the Late Show. Big Hug Jay Leno.

[@tomsmock7674]

Jay, without you, these cars would be almost forgotten. Thank you so much

[@6stringwood]

I am hoping Jay noticed the back seat moving around before he lost it on the freeway. Beautiful car glad it’s in Jay’s collection.

[@johnradcliffe5794]

Thank you Jay, for preserving these wonderful machines, and for taking the time, trouble, and expense to make these videos to share them with us.

[@michaeltaylor1603]

Sweet lines & TONS of chrome! What a fine color scheme. As you said, they were late to the race, but they had some gimmicks. Reversible cushions + torsion bar suspension. I always found the innovations in suspension a fascinating one. Thanks Jay! Your videos ALWAYS make me smile wistfully!

[@dariecosma-rapa9425]

"This is an era that hopefully we will never see again, big giant cars that eat gas". This is an era we all wish to see it again, big beautiful cars with grace and style and liveful colors.

[@bettyblevins7904]

Thanks Jay, what a gorgeous ride. I was born in 57 and it's an amazing thing to go back to the gentler times and see something as Grand as your Packard keep up the good work.

[@8lazingSaddles]

This is the most amazing car I have seen in a while! Thank you Jay for your continual motivation in showing us the glories of a bygone era. I think if they had just gotten better three speed transmissions and air conditioning they would possibly still be in business. A '49 Packard limo sat at our house for years left by a man named Sid who was a friend of my Dad's and a continually inebriated house painter. My Dad said it needed something fixed with the valves or something (and not worth fixing). I as an 8 year old kid I wanted to get it running and drive it, but there it continued to sit on our 8 acre property. It had a massive straight eight engine and jump seats in the rear for third-row seating. What a cavernous place to play with my friends as a kid!

[@JeffDeWitt]

Packard had bigger problems than that, and you COULD have gotten AC on this car, in fact Packard was the first with "factory" AC. Packard had money problems, plus the company that had been building their bodies was bought by GM and wouldn't renew the contract. Packard was pretty much between a rock and a hard place, so got the bright idea of buying Studebaker. Little did it know Studebaker was in even worse shape than Packard. Maybe if the "grand design" had worked out a little differently Packard could have been involved with the merger between Hudson and Nash. Then what became AMC would have had a prestige brand and Packard's advanced technology, (including a big block V8) then the story might have worked out differently.

[@mrdanforth3744]

There was nothing wrong with the Packard Ultramatic, lots of cars had 2 speed transmissions, like Buick Dynaflow Chev Powerglide . The Ultramatic was particularly efficient as it was the first with a lock up torque converter. The big drawback was the lack of a Vee eight engine and the conservative styling and body design. The 1956 model shown here, uses what is basically a 1952 body face lifted. In those days a 5 year old design was ancient, the usual styling cycle called for an all new body every 3 years.

[@bobmarker6812]

Always loved the 55 and 56 Packards. 13:55 Hope he didn't lose the right rear seat!!

[@muffs55mercury61]

Love seeing one on the road where it belongs and not stuck in a museum someplace. Way to go Jay!! Only 276 of those beauties were built so it's safe to say probably no more than two to three dozen still exist. With beautiful and very powerful cars like this it's so sad that Packard failed and 1956 was the last true Packards.

[@andresferrari5859]

My Dad purchased a 1955 Caribbean Clipper new in 1955. We had it for 8 years. He loved the car but it was not the reliable car that he expected. There where engine problems from time to time with the lifters and the electrics involving the self leveling suspension where problematic. He sold the car to a neighbors brother and he had the car for 3-4 years. I have great memories of this car. I smile every time I see one on the road.

[@jimengberg3117]

I hope he didn't lose that cushion that blew loose. :)

[@wildbutterflytiedye]

*Edited out when the cushion blew out of the car*

[@markko17]

Yup. At about 14 minutes you can the cushion, 'I'm outta here!"

[@rustyosgood5667]

Sitting here with a smile on my face for all 18 minutes. I am lucky to be a recipient of your many talents Jay. Thank you for continuing to share your love of automobiles so we may all enjoy it as well!!

[@TheLocalsOnlyPodcast]

I never really got to have a great relationship with my dad or my grampa. They both liked cars and were smart and could be funny, but not to the extent of Jay. Hell I don't think anyone loves cars more than him. Anyways while watching these videos, it always feels like you have a father or grandfather who really wanted to share his passion of the automobile to you. While other youtubers and hosts are great. Jay just has the wise elder impression that's is unmistakable. He just loves cars and knows you wanna hear about them. He's funny, quick witted and really knows how to tell a story. Makes me tear up thinking about what could have been ya know? But it also makes me happy that Jay's videos on cars will give everyone that feeling of a paternal guiding light through automotive darkness. I'll always cherish these videos. I wanted that written down somewhere and I hope others feel the same.

[@bensonsspeedshop1191]

When I graduated in '74, my neighbor let me take his '56 Carribean Clipper Convertible out for the evening! Coral and White, absolutely Awesome Car!!!

[@johnmoreyparks]

Thanks Jay. Brought back memories from childhood when my father had, at one time, 17 Packards, some running , some for parts. BTW, the Ultramatic had a lock up torque converter. Also, as you know, a torsion bar works exactly like a coil spring, but smoother due to how the loads are transferred to the frame.

[@jlwilliams]

Specifically, all the weight of a torsion bar (which probably weighs a LOT in a car this big) is "sprung weight" -- i.e. supported by the chassis -- whereas half the weight of a coil spring is "unsprung weight" -- meaning it moves up and down with the wheel. Less unsprung weight means the wheels can follow road contours more smoothly because they have less inertia. It wasn't just for luxobarges either... Maurice Philippe used them in the Lotus 72 Formula I car for exactly the same reason.

[@mrdanforth3744]

Packard had a unique torsion bar suspension in which the front wheel was connected at one end and the rear wheel at the other. In other words, the bar "floated" and was not connected to the frame. So when the front wheel hit a bump it lifted the rear wheel and vise versa. This gave a flat, level ride and smoothed out bumps amazingly. You could drive over a railway crossing or other rough place and not feel it. The one defect was that if you loaded the trunk and back seat, the rear of the car would squat down and the front reach for the sky. So they added a second, short torsion bar at the back, with an electric motor, to level the car. It had a built in delay of a few seconds so it would not be working all the time. That is what Jay was demonstrating when he sat on the fender, and the motor "wound up" the rear torsion bar, lifting the back of the car.

[@DSC800]

Yup, at 13:60 one of the back seat reversable cushions cut loose. Needs more velcro. Hope it didn't exit the vehicle.😀

[@piotrmalewski8178]

This car was a model for Soviet governmental 'GAZ-13 Chaika' (seagull) car. It had button-click automatic gearbox, and a Soviet-made V8. The tin which it was made of was so thick it could destroy any other car on the road through ramming. There were also armoured versions and 'high speed' versions used by Soviet special forces. The car also had automatic windows deliberately designed to be able to cut human hand's off.

[@user-ov4mk9ox8y]

back in 1963 we bought in north El Monte, Ca and an old guy down Roseglen found out dad worked on PACKARDS He had two of them. Our entire family became lifelong friends with Ole Mustad and his lovely wife. Yes, THAT Norwegian Mustad: family tree on the wall went back to 1453. I remember it. We have a 1953 Caribbean in our garage now; one of 750 made that year. End of an era.

[@waltergolston6187]

Having Jay by himself talking about the cars is the best!

[@jeffharper6259]

Jay what a great phrase you gave us (I realize you didn't come up with it): 'An older man will buy a young mans car, but a young man will not buy an old mans car.' Great video as always and I hope you can do this for many more years.

[@luk0z4de97]

As an 18 year old who owns a 2010 R230 Mercedes SL, I can tell you that this phrase isn’t always the truth.

[@gregoryhoufek8410]

My 16-year-old son drives a 2000 Buick LeSabre, the ultimate grandpa car, and loves it. Comfortable to drive and fits four of his football playing friends.

[@virtuestreams2616]

I remember exploring the remains of the Packard manufacturing plant-super sad for sure, but it is what it is. Love your car Jay!

[@davidpowell3347]

supposedly it sat abandoned except for some businesses that leased space inside for years but eventually vandals trashed it and parts of it are now demolished or collapsed perhaps it became property of Detroit and Detroit found that they couldn't sell it?

[@petervitti9]

My grandpa came from Italy to Detroit in the early 1920s. He worked at Packard s as a machinist for 35 years - retired in 55 or 56. He died in 1964.

[@jamesellsworth9673]

THANKS FOR SHARING and caring for this Packard. The double-sided 'pillow' cushions didn't completely stay in place during your drive! I LOVE these with 'Caribbean' pastel color schemes. Black and white doesn't do the 'vibe' justice...unless you are a piano player.

[@buellrod]

What an absolutely beautiful masterpiece Thank you for taking us for a ride phenomenal car

[@snailer06]

When I was in high school in the early '70s, my father drove me east of Rochester, NY on a country road and we came to a farm. We pulled in, and visited with a widow,. She was about retirement age, an associate of his from work. We all talked for a while, and my father mentioned I was a car "buff". At the end of the visit, she said to me, "you probably would enjoy seeing my car in the barn? It's a Packard." I said, "yeah!". In the center of a huge barn stood a cream-colored '55 Caribbean convertible V8. It was a little dusty, but perfectly preserved. They must've only driven it in the summer. I didn't have the nerve to ask if I could see the engine.

[@shaggybreeks]

I remember as a kid, visiting a Packard dealership regularly. My mother worked for a DeSoto dealer, but damn did I love those Packards. FWIW, Chrysler cars all had torsion bar suspension beginning the year *after* Packard introduced them.

[@MrRitchiecraig]

Love this one! Fabulous automobile with the out of the box suspension. More and more I enjoy the oddities more than the mainstream. Thanks Jay for all you do to make these cars come to life. Your everyday man's approach is refreshing. Let me know when you need someone to sweep the garage floor for cheap! Im available.

[@lindaoffenbach]

Wew, what a classic giant yet incredibly elegant design. At first when I saw the front my thoughts were, “Wait where did I see that..”. The Russian GAZ-13 (Chaika) had triggered this since it is more or less a copy, especially the front. Quintessential for this car is the word. I can imagine big Hollywood names cruising along in these type of Packards at the time… Such a gorgeous car. Thank you Jay. Do keep up this type of content (oops you may have lost a rear cushion I think though, hopefully to be retrieved...)

[@klaushaunstrupchristensen7252]

Wonderful! What’s important to notice is that the magic in the suspension is in the fact that the torsion bars are connected from front to rear suspension. Left front to left rear and front right to rear right, thereby forcing the car to move (more) vertically up and down rather than pitching front rear when driving over undulations. The only downside of such a system is that it makes the car drop more down at the rear when ballast (luggage and passengers) are added. For this reason the self leveling system is really a bonus bordering on a must. An interconnected suspension system like this could easily be used today and it doesn’t even require a torsion bar suspension, all needed is a hydraulic connection between the front and rear dampers. The only really thing would be to make it self leveling system, but even that part is not rocket science. Come on car producers from Tesla to VW bring back a pitch free (or let’s call it with less pitching) cars.

[@mattcollier5957]

I have a 56 Packard here in England UK, Jay Leno...... You are a Legend with immense passion and great understanding of these beautiful cars. Thank You for this ans all your so interesting videos

[@bobschenkel7921]

Thank you for keeping true vintage cars vintage, where practical. The Caribbean is one of the most stylish of the 50's Boulevard Cruisers, but you might have to redo the Velco on the back seats, passenger side came loose, while you were busy driving. Nice, nice ride.

[@easyricer]

Thanks Jay, I love that old car! I'd daily drive it until the tires fell off and then pass it on to someone to restore! I know everyone was worried about that seat cushion taking off, but I was very distracted by the bent front bumper... on a car like that it would drive me nuts! I'd risk hurting the chrome to get those lines back straight. If I had the choice of any of your cars to drive, I'd pick this one in the top 3.

[@petejoy6328]

I drove a 1956 Packard 400 in high school ! Still love how that automobile looks. Very classy. Thanks Jay for taking me back 55 yrs!

[@alexvaliansky7707]

You mean 66 years.

[@mattikaki]

Hello from Finland, Jay. When I was a boy in the 60’s my dad told me that the very best car was the old Packard. And now I understand why. I have always loved the torsion bar system because it is simple and you can adjust it easily. In that Packard it is really something very special which I’ve never heard before. Must take a look. I really admire your collection.

[@marcusbrutus1999]

Really enjoyed learning about this car. Especially the torsion bar suspension. My first car, a (British) Morris Minor 1000 from 1956, also had (front) torsion bar suspension. However, there the comparison well and truly ends! :) BTW, Hope you did not lose the rear seat back cushion, it looked as if it blew away while you were driving it! Nice one Jay, good on yer mate! As we Brits say......

[@starkparker16]

If the Minor had to transported in the Packard's trunk (boot) would the trunk have to remain open?

[@marcusbrutus1999]

I always said Stark, my Minor would have fitted in my USA wife's first car's trunk/boot, an Impala! But, it was my first car and got a damn site more MPG than the Chevy! I saved up to buy it. It cost 100 Pounds in 1968, sold for a profit 2 years later 110 Pounds. IMHO the Minor was Issigonis' finest work, with the Mini coming second. Having said all of that, I would have loved to have driven a big V8 at 18 years of age....

[@mikepelz7004]

My first car, 1958 Morris Minor two door in 1967, learned how to change a clutch replace brakes and rebuild my first engine which led to a 45 year career as a Master Mechanic!

[@ldnwholesale8552]

Nothing wrong with Minor bars. They were common is Speedway Supermodifieds [Sprintcars] in the 60s and 70s. Mine has them on the rear, a couple all way around.

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

The torsion bar suspension on the Packard is totally different. The Packard torsion bars go diagonally from the front to the rear wheels.

[@BRAINFxck10]

Jay: "It's kinda interesting.." *Proceeds to show the most interesting looking transmission buttons I've ever seen..what a guy! Haha that interior is incredible, the whole car is incredible.

[@daneh3443]

That is incredible. Like a work of art that you can drive.When American auto manufacturing was the finest in the world.😊

[@timothyburnside3229]

Great video that shows why America Dominated Industrial production! Fantastic cars that were leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else and Jay shows that pride in in every video!!!

[@keithlempka2593]

Absolutely beautiful car, Thank you for being a wonderful caretaker of it. I always look forward to seeing what you are going to show up with every week

[@BraveDeterminedMerciful]

Thanks Jay, love it when you go in detail over your own cars! As someone coming from a rainy country (Netherlands), could you perhaps occassionally show the roofs of your convertables? All the best from Amsterdam!

[@mikelowe5096]

"One or two panic stops and after that you're on your own." What a great observation and it was probably pretty typical for most big cars of that era.

[@alejack12001]

Thanks Jay for bringing out some nostalgia with your 1956 Packard Caribbean. My grandfather had the 1955 Packard Sedan with the straight 8 that you mentioned. It was an impressive car. Unfortunately, he passed in 1956 and his widow sold the car for an insane low price of $1000 in 1960.

[@emdb1981]

When the seats fall off in the back. Perfect. What an incredible car. Thank you for sharing this jay!

[@Giuseppe_De_Bellis]

Yes! At minute 14:11.. Gone! 😂😂

[@TreeLBollingTreeMan]

@@Giuseppe_De_Bellis got lose at 13:54.

[@Giuseppe_De_Bellis]

@@TreeLBollingTreeMan ha ha!! You're right!! I didn't see that!! Not the best double sided tape, then!! Cheers!! 😂😂

[@mtacoustic1]

Packard also made some great aircraft engines with the Packard-Merlin!

[@tommunyon2874]

Amazing looking car! We had a 1956 Plymouth Plaza that only had a fraction of the chrome. The paint was chalky within a year; the headliner drooped, and the woven nylon upholstery crumbled. Someone loved and preserved this car. My buddy had a '56 Cadillac that weighed 4600 pounds, as I recall from the registration docs.

[@tertommy]

My dad always bought Dodges, he said the front torsion bar and rear leaf springs could take the crummy roads in PA better than cars with coil springs.

[@watchnutz4322]

Hey Jay, what a fascinating car. Just love that torsion bar suspension, and the style!! Who needs fins. Such an elegant car and due to that suspension it’s ride as you cruise along reminds me of the Riva Aquarama on water. An elegant, powerful glide. Not sure you’d enjoy the £9 per gallon here in the UK right now though.

[@normanduke8855]

That is just shy of $11.00 a gallon. Yet here in the States, people are screaming like stuck pigs for plus or minus $5.00/gallon. Me? I'm grateful we have gas at all.

[@richardprice5978]

@@normanduke8855 10's are next wether we like it or not and at this rate within the year to 2

[@richardprice5978]

a modern conversion upto 10 speed ( and maybe even the hybrid unit model say out of the tahoe ) out of a GM or ford would help it and probably not much work and or bolt in mod aka no cutting or mods that can't be undone and helps a lot with gas MPG but im not so sure about the OG characteristics aka sole did something similar in my 60's charger as sound/gas ⛽️ is a pain but with my choices mine isn't cut free aka heavyweight mod's, and that packers engine 🤔 im wondering how related it is the the BBM B-383 or RB-350 mopar engine's that later on spound the 426-hemi V8 as my research seems like thats a possibility

[@moyadapne968]

$14.50 per Imp gallon in NZ. 4.5 litres. The US gallon is only 3.75 liters.

[@bobjohnson1587]

@@normanduke8855 Yes, you guys should be happy with the price you're paying for gas and not screaming about it.

[@MrIslandman59]

Something of interest to share: In 1942, the Packard Motor Car Company converted to 100% war production. During World War II, Packard again built airplane engines, licensing the Merlin engine from Rolls-Royce as the V-1650, which powered the P-51 Mustang fighter, ironically known as the "Cadillac of the Skies" by GIs in WWII.

[@AnthonyEvelyn]

Not only for airplanes but they made excellent motor engines for PT Boats.

[@randyrobey5643]

These are magnificent cars. I was three years old when Packard went under, but I was very aware of the cars and what they represented. My father spent the first half of his working life in a Packard dealership in Richmond, VA., and there were few things that made him smile more than these cars. My father got the job of delivering one of the last new Packards sold in central Virginia. For reasons I didn't fully understand at the time, my father took me with him on the long ride to deliver the new Packard. I believe the car was light green and white. I was aware that this car represented the end for Packard, though I was too young to fully understand what "the end," really meant for anything. My father didn't have much to say that day, but I have always been glad that he took me along for the ride.

[@bbdc1977-sg8dc]

I remember, I was 11, and when I got the catalogue brochure, I was overwhelmed by how beautiful the Caribbean Convertable was. Especially the tail lights and exhaust. It just seemed to be so elegant with the chrome accent on the side. I was surprised that that particular model wasn't popular. I see a close similarity in design between this car and the Mercury design. The Mercury was a sleeker looking design, but it was quite similar. Even the windshield design and front hoodlight covers. I know because my dad bought a new Mercury Montclaire.

[@lukespack]

Packard sure made some great cars. Anyone would love to have this car.

[@pwatom22]

Love your channel. Very innovative suspension. Thanks for sharing these amazing cars with us.

[@LanceisLawson]

My two Aunts both drove 56/57 Packard Clippers and my mom's best friend drove 53 Packard convertible. If you had asked me in 1958 whether Packard was doing well I would have easily said of course they're all over my neighborhood. I remember being shown the ride leveling device in operation. Although I was barely in 5th grade then I could sense that Packard was special. I was reminded of the Jaguar XK's when Jay showed the Packard Torsion bars. Oh and my 65 Dodge Dart had torsion bars that were perhaps the only still functioning system in the car lol.

[@thomaspeacock7248]

My Dad had a post-world war 2 Packard, though I don’t know what model year. He traded it for a ‘50 Chevy and after that a new ‘56 Chevy Belair but with a 6 cylinder engine. I remember he used to lament ever trading the Packard for a Chevy. By ‘62 and forward, he was a Ford customer. I think Packard made its mark on history by building those big V-12 marine engines used by the PT boats. Three 1500 hp engines in a mahogany and hardwood 80ft patrol boat.

[@leewalker3514]

I absolutely thank you for this love it please keep it coming

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

This, in my opinion, is the greatest ever Packard. You have to see one in person to appreciate its beauty and grandeur. The hard-top ones are equally attractive. I don't really like the color scheme of this example; they produced much more attractive color combinations.

[@1DEADBEEF1]

Come on! Ever heard of the flagship packard 12?? 7.8liter v12, boattail speedster 2 seater

[@golden.lights.twinkle2329]

@@1DEADBEEF1 Primitive and ugly in my opinion. 1950s cars were the epitome of style.

[@JeffDeWitt]

No, the greatest Packard ever would have to be one of the Senior Packard's from the 30's. Nothing against this car, it's an amazing machine, and seeing one in real life is something else. These cars have a real presence, unlike anything modern I've run across.

[@briangregory6303]

This reminds me of the 55 Cadillac my mom had. The first car I ever remember. That baby was a tank and could sling gravel in the parking lot when she wanted it to.

[@frankappaz6624]

Our priest owned a '55 Caribbean that my cousin now has... The car all original no restoration and it's a great piece of rolling art.