Citizen's Motorcar Company
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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