Richard Von Wilke (Dick Wilke). I am a collector and lover of old cars, especially Packard's. My Dad had Packard's in the 30's and 40's when I was growing up. He bought a 1941 Super Clipper 2 door in 1941 (new). It was the  fastest stock car with it's 165 HP on the road.

My first car at 17 years was a 1936 120  convertible. See Top Left Picture Above

When I was in the Coast Guard in the late 40's, I got my hands on a  1938 Buick Century, 6 wheel convertible.

I went into the roofing business in 1949 and bought a 1947 Cadillac Convertible. I took it to Florida and had to drive on all the lovely old roads which were very interesting; saw Burma Shame signs, etc. and a few  hotels. Motels were not built yet. Fort Lauderdale was exciting. Pompano  Beach was sparsely populated by a few small cabins on A1A, a side swing draw bridge with plenty of alligators around, over the Intercoastal Canal along with my many other cars, including a 1937 Hudson 8 with a bar in the rear. I bought my first new Packard, in 1952, in New York City. I had  a 1947 Hudson Truck with a petite 6 cyl. engine, it felt like the pistons got mixed up until I floored it. I then bought and sold, through the New York Times (the only way to sell - no large car publications), on on the Web!

I bought the '41 from the original playboy owner from N.Y.C.

In 1954  the Cadillac came out with a new large model, so I bought a 2 door  hard-top in Morristown and kept it until 1956, then bought another Coupe  DeVille which I didn't like.
I then bought a 1956 Packard Executive hard-top, which I still own.

Some of the more interesting cars was a 1939 Packard V12 Gentleman's Coupe which I swapped with James Milton for a 1941 Cadillac Convertible  (clutch with hill holder).

On one of my trips to Europe, in Germany, I bought a Rolls Royce town  car owned by King Karl of Romania, which he used in Paris. (I thought then and still do, that Packard's were so much better.)

In 1955 I was negotiating to buy a Packard agency in Clifton, NJ. I went to the Packard Co. in Detroit and was invited to the 1956 model  opening in New York City. The New Packard's were beautiful. I did not go  through with buying the agency when I heard Packard was going out of business thanks to Curtis Write and Studebaker.


God Bless,

Over & Outski

100th Anniversary
Packard Museum at Warren, Ohio