The Packard: Strictly for lovers of the classic auto

A 1928 Packard

IN a world of interactive, Imax-enhanced, iPod-guided automotive museums, the relatively modest historical collection here may hardly seem worth a visit. But America’s Packard Museum on Ludlow Street is something different, and decidedly worthwhile: it is not a re-creation, but an authentic artifact of the history of the Packard Motor Car Company.

What began as the city’s premier Packard dealership, then lay dormant for decades, is now a center for all things Packard — parts, restoration information and, above all, exceptional examples of the luxury brand.

Housed in a proto-Deco building designed by the architect Albert Kahn and built in 1917, the Citizens Motorcar Company was also part of the official Packard distributorship for much of the Midwest. Like a movie set, the sales offices around the high-ceiling showroom have the look of a dealership still in business, an impression reinforced by the 20-foot-tall neon Packard sign outside and the array of cars visible through the expansive windows. Period furniture, black telephones, sales brochures, a well-worn briefcase and even an early Dictaphone complete the setting.

Read the rest here and see photos of some truly wonderful old cars.