The Space Age Hits the Road: Visionary Car Designs in America

1952 Packard Pan American

A venerable automaker dating from the earliest days of the industry, the independent company Packard had fallen on hard times by the middle of the century, unable to achieve the Big Three’s economies of scale. In 1952, Packard gambled that its Pan American could help reestablish the company as a contender on the luxury car market. Its low-slung styling and subtle shape won it the top prize for engineering and design at the International Motor Sports Show in New York. Though only five Pan American prototypes were made, they influenced the look of Packard’s successful Caribbean convertible. 

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