WARREN Packard museum making plans for annual car show

A 1941 limousine used by Elizabeth Gilmer Packard will be unveiled at the event.
By AMANDA C. DAVIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Area car lovers, mark your calendars.
July is months away, but officials at the National Packard Museum are gearing up to make this year's Packard Car Show memorable.
The show is being called "2001 -- A Packard Odyssey." Events are scheduled for July 20, 21 and 22 at various sites, including W.D. Packard Music Hall and the National Packard Museum, both on Mahoning Avenue Northwest.
Registration deadline for cars is June 20 and entries will be accepted based on space availability. The fee is $40 per family and includes entrance for up to three cars and admission for two people.
Registration applications can be picked up at the museum from noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Registration can be done online by visiting www.packardmuseum.org.
For more information call (330) 394-8484 or (330) 394-1899.
Home grown: New this year will be a display of non-Packard automobiles built by local resident Fred Warren.
Three of his roadsters -- the Shockwave, the Ultrashock and the Aftershock -- will be displayed in the museum during the car show. The Shockwave won America's most beautiful roadster during the 1999 Grand National Roadster Show.
Museum director Mary Ann Propri said Warren's custom built roadsters look similar to low riders and are "very flashy."
Also this year, museum officials will unveil a 1941 Packard LeBaron limousine used to transport Elizabeth Gilmer Packard around town.
Elizabeth Gilmer Packard was married to J.W. Packard, who along with brother W.D. Packard, founded Packard Electric Co. and Packard Motor Car Co. in the 1890s.
Propri said Elizabeth Gilmer Packard maintained a residence on Oak Knoll Drive here, and one in Lake Chatauqua, N.Y.
The limousine was used locally, Propri said, adding "She had a chauffeur, of course."
Work in progress: The vehicle has been donated to the museum and is being restored. Propri said it will be ready for display in July and will become part of the museum's permanent collection. Fourteen Packards are on display at the museum.
Also this year, the car show will welcome special guest Jerry Dixie, a writer with Street Rod magazine, which builds a street rod every year to take around to car shows.
Propri said Dixie is expected to drive the magazine's 2001 street rod to the Warren show.
The all-makes, all-models cruise-in will be at 1 p.m. July 22.
Propri said events at the music hall will include a dinner July 21 and performances all three days by Packard Band.
Music Hall Manager Chris Stephenson said some vendors may also be housed at the hall.
"We're excited to be a part of the show," he added.
Packard officials hope to draw 5,000 to 10,000 people and more than 800 makes and models of vehicles during the three-day event.
"I'm excited because we got a good jump on plans already," Propri said. "We think it's going to be a pretty big event."