The Packard Mayfair was the hardtop coupe version of the 250, sold from 1951 to 1953 and named after the fashionable London district. It was Packard’s answer to the new breed of American hardtop coupes and, unlike most Packards of the period, it was offered only in that body style.
Packard Mayfair at a glance
| Maker | Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit |
|---|---|
| Production | 1951–1953 |
| Based on | Packard 250 |
| Body | two-door hardtop coupe only |
| Rivals | Oldsmobile 98 Holiday, Buick Roadmaster Riviera, Lincoln Capri, Chrysler New Yorker Newport |
| Named after | Mayfair, City of Westminster, London |
| Price 1951 | US$3,234 for the hardtop, US$3,939 for the convertible |
| Standard | three-speed manual gearbox |
| Options | Ultramatic, four-way power seat, leather, power steering, Easamatic brakes, heater, power windows |
| Successor (1954) | Packard Pacific |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Packard Mayfair.
History of the Packard Mayfair
A hardtop for the new market
After the war, American makers discovered the hardtop coupe, a two-door with no B-pillar that looked like a convertible with the roof up. Oldsmobile called its version the Holiday, Buick the Riviera, Lincoln the Capri and Chrysler the Newport. Packard’s answer, from 1951, was the Mayfair, a name taken from the luxurious district of Mayfair in the City of Westminster, London. The coupe body was also used for a convertible, but the Mayfair name was applied only to the hardtop.
Equipment
The 1951 Packard body brought a concealed door handle set into the chrome beltline that ran around the side windows, the bottom of the windscreen and the rear window. The Mayfair came with a three-speed manual gearbox as standard and a long list of extras: the Ultramatic automatic, a four-way power seat, leather upholstery, power steering, Easamatic power drum brakes, heater and windscreen defroster, a chrome cormorant hood ornament and power windows. The convertible, which came with leather and a power-operated top as standard, listed at US$3,939; the hardtop cost US$3,234.
The Pacific and the Caribbean
For 1954 the Mayfair was replaced by the Pacific, which moved up to senior Packard status with the larger 359 cu in (5.9 L) four-barrel L-head straight-eight and the full senior trim of the Patrician. The convertible carried on as the Model 5479 Convertible and as the new Caribbean, which had been developed from the Pan-American show car.
Design and features
- Hardtop only: the Mayfair name was never used on the convertible.
- British name: taken from the Mayfair district of London.
- Long options list: Ultramatic, power seat, leather, power steering and windows.
- Concealed handles: set into the chrome beltline of the 1951 body.
Packard Mayfair versions
- Mayfair (1951–1953): the 250 hardtop coupe.
- 250 convertible: the same body with a folding top, US$3,939.
- Pacific (1954): the senior-trim successor with the 359 straight-eight.
- Model 5479 Convertible (1954): the convertible under a new designation.
The Mayfair was part of the 200 and 250 family, and its convertible sister grew into the Caribbean. More Packards are in the Packard collection.
Sources
- Packard Mayfair, English Wikipedia: market position, equipment, prices, 1954 successor
