autoevolution
 

1950s Henney-Packard Ambulances Found Hiding in a Warehouse Are Rarer Than Hen's Teeth

One of America's premiere luxury automakers in the early 20th century, Packard went the way of the Dodo bird in 1958 following an unsuccessful merger with Studebaker. Come 2022 and most cars produced by the company founded in Warren, Ohio, are quite rare.
1950s Henney-Packard ambulance 8 photos
Photo: Adventures Made From Scratch/YouTube
1950s Henney-Packard ambulance1950s Henney-Packard ambulance1950s Henney-Packard ambulance1950s Henney-Packard ambulance1950s Henney-Packard ambulance1950s Henney-Packard ambulance1950s Henney-Packard ambulance
Full-size Packards from the 1930s are particularly sought-after and expensive, usually fetching six-figure sums over $200,000. But some unique models, like the 1934 Twelve Individual Custom Stationary Coupe by Dietrich, change hands for millions of dollars.

The Packards you see here are nowhere near as expensive as a coach-built gem from the Interwar years, but they're among the rarest ever made. And the kind most of us will never see in the metal. I'm talking about a pair of Henney-Packard Junior ambulances.

Haven't you heard about this model up until today? Well, that's exactly why they're rarer than hen's teeth. While professional cars (mainly ambulances and hearses) based on Packard vehicles are known to classic car enthusiasts, these smaller Junior models have flown under the radar.

For starters, they haven't been very popular since they were first introduced in 1952. A collaborative effort between Packard and Henney, the Junior line spawned both ambulances and hearses. Smaller than regular professional builds based on longer wheelbase cars, they were supposed to win customers over through improved maneuverability and better fuel economy.

But the Junior wasn't as successful as Packard and Henney had hoped, so the line was discontinued after only three years and about 620 examples built. And because most of them were scrapped after a few years in use, they're quite hard to find nowadays. And that's why seeing not one but two of them in a warehouse is a big deal.

Documented by "Adventures Made From Scratch," these Henney-Packard Juniors have been sitting in storage for quite a few years. Purchased by his father a long time ago, they look like they haven't been driven in decades, but they're still in decent shape.

The light blue example is pretty much a dusty barn find, but it's relatively rust-free and surprisingly complete. And it still has its wrap-around rear windows, which are impossible to find nowadays.

The second ambulance looks a bit rougher on the outside, and it's finished in black, a rather unusual color for this type of vehicle. This one's missing a rear window, and it's been repainted at some point, showing traces of dark blue in the cabin and white on the tailgate and rear panels. Perhaps it was used as a panel van after it was decommissioned?

So are these Juniors still worth saving? Well, it kinda depends on who you ask. Most Packard enthusiasts might not be very excited to restore and drive this type of conversion, but fans of professional cars would probably love to see them running and driving again.

There's some middle ground to consider here as well, as these wagons would make nice mini campers or restomods with modern underpinnings. Either way, they're way too rare to be scrapped, so hopefully, someone will step up and save them when the warehouse is cleared.

Until then, go ahead and check them out in the video below. The blue Junior shows up at the 13:20-minute mark, while the black one is shown at the 14:13-minute mark. But you should check the entire video because the property is loaded with cool classic cars and items.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Ciprian Florea
Ciprian Florea profile photo

Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories