What a sweet ride! The 1956 Packard Caribbean driven by Jay Leno brings back memories for many people that participated in or witnessed one of the greatest American victories ever. It’s a convertible that no one should ever forget. It’s tied to that magnificent common core that tells us we can achieve anything. Afterward, we can celebrate like there’s no tomorrow.
The American TV star made us all laugh and kept millions glued to their screens with his multiple television shows. Now he’s taking the time to share the immense passion he has for all types of vehicles (excluding Ferrari). Most importantly, the man’s goal is to educate others about what the United States made in the past on nonother than YouTube itself.
Besides being a good way to spend approximately 20 minutes of your day, this episode of Jay Leno’s Garage is a great opportunity to rediscover the happiness felt by millions of people. That amazing feeling was incorporated into this stylish and outlandish convertible.
The 1956 Packard Caribbean is part of the TV star’s garage. He says this vehicle is the last one made in such a great way that it ended up representing everything the carmaker was or wanted to be. It was a swansong meant to reach the customers that were just done with hearing about foreign problems and military interventions. Nothing else from the company’s range competed with it in terms of styling, comfort, and downright size.
But what’s even more interesting is that available data shows there were only 15 of these convertibles made in this color combination. The chrome just blends perfectly with the cream-colored bold line in the middle that separates the black from enveloping the entire thing.
Jay Leno says Packard made a mistake by getting late into the V8 game, although the carmaker had a straight-eight that was working wonderfully. Unfortunately, Americans weren’t interested in smoothness and quietness back then. They wanted to live life to the fullest.
But what Jay Leno likes the most about this car is the innovative use of the torsion bar suspension. This addition meant the vehicle would also ride level. Even though it had a push-button control unit for the gearbox, the transmission had only two gears. This meant it couldn’t ever snap at you while flooring the acceleration. But with power steering and power brakes, this car would’ve offered you the great feeling of calmly “sailing” the roads. Even so, the American star is convinced the car wouldn't need the three-speed automatic gearbox. He says it offers enough power and sufficient range to play with.
Jay Leno takes it out for a spin and says this convertible was and still has the potential to remain “the ultimate California car.” He’s convinced it’s perfect for cruising.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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