Packard’s all-new 1957 line was dubbed the Clipper. Essentially a heavily restyled Studebaker President heaped with standard comforts and conveniences on a 116.5-inch wheelbase chassis, it was offered only with a 289-cubic inch overhead-valve V-8 with a McCulloch centrifugal supercharger, designed to provide boost to the engine above 3,000 rpm. The result was a stout 275 horsepower at 4,800 rpm, which meant swift performance. In fact, the Clipper Country Sedan, a rather classy and well-equipped station wagon, was one of the fastest wagons of its era. Only 869 were built, however, as buyers of the day failed to appreciate the new South Bend-built Packards, which were, in the end result, really some of the finest “Studebakers” ever built.
