Back in 1917 a Packard dealership opened up in Dayton, OH and took the name the Citizen's Motorcar Company. The dealership thrived as the word of the quality and luxury of the Packard spread. But, like the car maker itself, competition from the Big Three soon relegated the Packard, along with its sister car the Studebaker, to second class status. Finally, in 1958 the Packard run came to an end.
For most Packard dealerships this was the end of the line. They either switched brands to something more viable or they simply closed shop. But not so for the Citizen's Motorcar Company. Yes the building sat empty for some years and served a few other purposes but in 1992 a local attorney and car buff named Bob Signom bought the building and restored it. Then he did something totally amazing: he turned it into a Packard Museum.
Today the museum, housed in two buildings, hosts over 50 different examples of these amazing cars. Plus there are various other pieces of Packard history, including airplane engines.
Recently my sons and I took a trip to Dayton and checked out this amazing monument to some of the most iconic luxury cars this country has ever made. For the next couple of weeks I'm going devote the blog to many of the fantastic cars on display at what Car Collector magazine called one of the top 10 museums in the country.
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