1956 Patrician

Car information

What a great delight you have given me in confirming that your Packard is indeed formerly Kevin Andrews’. You are the fourth owner!  I had seen some details and picture of the car somewhere years ago. But the details that went with the picture left me less than sure. I will give you a detailed expose later. It will take me a while to write it. There’s lots! I remember the somewhat sad day when Kevin Andrews came to my parents place in Ingle Farm to settle the deal. 1987? He had known about the car for a long time. My father, R.W. Burns, as second owner, had owned it for 23 years. Do you think that I had trouble getting that big car onto a car trailer in a sloping driveway? Its first owner was Dr. Harry Vacker of Pasadena CA. I don’t know his address. But we picked it up from a body shop owner who had it in his yard on consignment.  We sat in the 8-year-old car and I looked at the speedo. The odometer read 19,140. We lived in the U.S. for two and a half years, and Dad shipped it back to Adelaide in late 1966. It was registered for a short time on SA plates then he used trade plates to move it at various times early on. We went on a day trip to Victor Harbor in it in 1967 and he drove it from 63 Fisher St Fullarton to 11 Haven Rd Mansefield Park in 1969 when we relocated there. I followed him in his Falcon. I couldn’t keep up with him! 0-60 in ten-and-a-half seconds! I had my test for my California driver’s licence on the streets of North Long Beach in that car including parking all 18 feet 2 inches of it! I have lots of pictures of our trips in the USA – Grand Canyon, Route 66 etc in 1964-66. It was purchased by Dr Vacker from the Noll Auto Co. 1285 E Colorado St Pasadena in late 1955 or into 1956 (I haven’t discovered that little date fact yet)! You can look up a nice picture of Noll with 56 Packards in the showroom and 3 parked on the street from Packardinfo.com. Sincerest Regards, Robert Burns