I will ship this very scarce 1/16 scale model of a 1956 Packard Caribean hardtop to any foreign country using Priority Mail International from the US Postal Service. This fine hand made cast resin model is number 24 of a total of only 25 that Marty Martino of Gum Spring Virginia built back in 1986. This model measures 13-3/4" long by 5-1/2" wide and 4" high. At the time that I bought this gem, I believe that it was the the only large model of any year of Packard Caribean that had been made. It was built many years before the 1/18 scale die-cast Caribean convertibles were built.
The last two photos show this Packard beside the similar 1/16 scale black 1956 Chrysler 300B resin model that I bought from Marty a year or so before he built this Packard. The Chrysler is not part of this listing but is offered here on another listing. I showed the two models together so you can get a better idea of how big they really are.
Marty's first large model car was a 1/16 scale 1954 Lincoln Capri 2 door hardtop. He built a total of 25 of them in the mid 1980's. Part of the 25 were red and the remainder were blue. Marty made only 25 of the 1956 Chrysler 300B in 1985. Some were white, some were red and the remainder were black. The Packard Caribean followed in 1986 with a total of only 25 that were built. Some were like the one offered here in cream, orange & black while some were cream,blue & brown Tri-tones with some painted cream, pink & gray. Marty's last large model car was the Oldsmobile Fiesta convertible which I unfortunatley missed getting one of. He made 25 of them in either orange & white or turquoise & white.
Marty then went on to rebuild full size original GM concept cars such as the LaSalle II and recreate others that had been destroyed. He recreated the following full size concept cars after the original cars had been destroyed:
1956 Pontiac Club demer
1955 Lincoln Futura
1955 Chevrolet Biscayne
1956 Chrysler Norseman
The Chrysler Norseman was a concept car built in 1956. It was a four-seat coupe. Although designed by Chrysler Corporation's stylists, actual construction was contracted out to the Italian coach-building firm of Ghia. Ghia had experience in the construction of low-volume vehicles and one-off prototypes, having built the successful Lincoln Futura concept the previous year. It took Ghia's craftsmen over a year to build the complex Norseman.
Chrysler wanted a fully drivable vehicle, not just a rolling mockup, so all normal systems for the powertrain, braking, suspension, were installed. More difficult to fabricate was its unusual cantilevered roof, which was secured to the body only at the rear C pillars. There were no side pillars, and at the front the roof rested only lightly on a fully frameless windshield. There was a power sunroof as well, an advanced feature, that was difficult to integrate into a slender roof structure with no structural support at the front. The door glass was ventless (having no small vent window at the front), a styling theme that would become popular some ten years later.
The car was to be a featured attraction of Chrysler's auto show exhibit for 1957 and was shipped by Ghia to New York City in July 1956. The car was shipped on the ocean liner SS Andrea Doria, which was involved in a collision off the coast of Massachusetts and sank, with the loss of forty-six lives and all cargo.
As a result the car was never shown to the public and was never seen by most of the stylists who worked on it. It is known to automotive historians, however, via photographs and specifications. Chrysler never used the cantilevered roof design in any subsequent vehicle.
Please notice the detail in the tires that Marty cast from white silicone rubber and then colored the tread of the tire black. You can even read the words Goodrich and Silvertown in the white side walls of the tires. All of Marty's large models had interiors complete with a dashboard, steering wheel and detailed seat cushions. He vacuum formed clear plastic to make the windshield and rear window glass. Please notice that this special model features a double seamed vinyl roof which was very rare among full size cars in 1956. This model also has a radio antenna mounted in each of the rear fenders. This feature was the rage back then. I believe Marty used adhesive backed metal foil to make the brightwork look like chrome.
Since 1/16 scale is the most popular scale for the collectors of farm toys and very few 1/16 car models are available, this model would be ideal to display in a large farm yard diorama. One could pretend that a wealthy tourist stopped for directions. Perhaps the farmer's banker stopped by for a quick chat with his customer. The possibilities are truly endless for the very special and unusual model car from the 1950's.
This model is quite rare and you may not have another chance to purchase one because the total of 25 that were built have mostly found their way into collections like mine. My interests have changed through the last 30 years or so. I am now more interested in the full size pre-1916 or brass era cars than I am cars from the 1950's. Thanks a lot, Bob Woodburn