Willys Aero at Packard Proving Grounds

[vettelang]

Yesterday I was a judge at the Cars R Stars show at the Packard Proving Ground. Imagine my surprise when the only car model in the engineering library was a fiberglass Willys Aero. It was about a 1/12th scale. A 52 or 53 based on the bumper guards and split windows. No W logos anywhere. I have no idea why it would be there unless it was left over from the Johnnie Dark filming at the Proving Ground (although it did not have a Fielding grille).

[joefrazer]

There aren't many of those around. Most were plaster and were mockups of future designs. Many years ago, an auction featured a plaster Aero wagon. I've also seen a few plaster Aero sedans and two doors...all done in about 1/12 scale.

[MarkH]

That's cool. Thanks for posting!

[Gordie]

It appears to be an Eagle as well.  That was a nice find!

[Aeroman]

That model looks like the one in a picture of Clyde Paton, the father of the Aero. I do not have a copy of the pic, but I'm sure it's been in at least one article in an old car magazine - maybe the Maurice Hendry article in Car Classics, 1974. It wouldn't surprise me that it would be at Packard because Mr. Paton was chief of Packard Engineering during the 1930's.

[Aeroman]

Lew Retzer took these pics of Eleanor Paton's scale model a few years back when he visited her. This was from her father, Clyde Paton, father of the Aero.

[vettelang]

Looks just like the one at the Packard Proving Grounds.

[RogerDetroit]

Hello Vettelang:

It is the same, exact model car, because it was donated to the PPG by Eleanor Paton. 

First, thank you for being a judge and for helping us to have our best Cars-R-Stars show ever.  We had 325+ cars on the show field and nearly 3,000 people in attendance.  You should have sought out any of our volunteer staff (in the green shirts) or me and we could have explained it to you.

Back to why we have it.  As most of you know, Clyde R. Paton, was the Chief Engineer of Packard from 1932 to 1942 before he moved onto Willys.  His only child, Eleanor, was a member of the local Packard Club and a supporter of the Packard Motor Car Foundation.  The PMCF is a separate, non-profit group, a 501c3, established to preserve the PPG.

When Eleanor passed away on July 1, 2016 she willed all of her estate to the PMCF to honor to her father.  This included ALL of Clyde's possessions.  We are very grateful to her for this donation.

If you have ever been to the PPG. then you will know we are very much a work-in-progress restoring all of the Albert Kahn designed buildings on our 17 acre campus.  The model of the Aero is on temporary display until we can assemble and curate a display to highlight Clyde's achievements throughout his entire career and not just at Packard. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could have a ring of Willys Aero cars and maybe even a Woodill Wildfire at next years Cars-R-Stars?

Any Aero owners interested in making this happen?

Meanwhile, the PPG is holding its annual Open House (FREE) this Sunday, October 15th from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.   We will have a live band, Johnny Trudell, playing swing music, a bake sale, food trucks and a lot of fun.   Last year we had 40 Packards on display, 250+ collector cars cruised on in and 2,400+ people passed through the gates.  Of course, attendance is weather dependent.  If you are in the area, you are welcome to attend.

All the best,  --Roger--

[Barnum]

I could be fun to get some cars together....I am told that the most Aeros in one place has been 6 some years ago. Would be fun to beat that.

[Aeroman]

It is the same, exact model car, because it was donated to the PPG by Eleanor Paton. 

Back to why we have it.  As most of you know, Clyde R. Paton, was the Chief Engineer of Packard from 1932 to 1942 before he moved onto Willys.  His only child, Eleanor, was a member of the local Packard Club and a supporter of the Packard Motor Car Foundation.  The PMCF is a separate, non-profit group, a 501c3, established to preserve the PPG.

When Eleanor passed away on July 1, 2016 she willed all of her estate to the PMCF to honor to her father.  This included ALL of Clyde's possessions.  We are very grateful to her for this donation.

I had been in touch with Miss Paton several times over the years, hoping to glean some knowledge of her father's involvement in the Willys Aero. She was, at some point, going to copy some of the Aero documents of her father's and forward them to me but that never happened. I would like to know if that might still be a possibility? I do not know what she had, so please let me know what there is, if you feel so inclined. E-mail me if you will. Thank you very much.

Pictures are of Clyde Paton's 1953 Aero Ace 4-door (possibly the prototype. He drove this car into the late 1950's) and Eleanor Paton's 1953 Aero Eagle.

[RogerDetroit]

Yes, it would be fun to get as many Aeros as possible in one display.  What is the record number from 6 years ago we would have to break?

Regarding Clyde's documents.  We have all of the records that were in Eleanor's possession.  She did complain to me once that she had loaned out some documents to a guy (she could not remember his name) who was going to write a book (don't know if it was ever published) and the documents were never returned.

Meanwhile, we have started digitizing all of the Packard documents we own - some 40,000 images and countless documents.  I don't know where Clyde's documents fall in the queue.  We also received the library from Marsten Ware - the fellow that designed many marine engines, including the PT Boat engine and the non-magnetic turbo diesel for minesweepers.  All that needs to be digitized also.  We will be digitizing for a long time, unless we find more volunteers to donate their time. 

[Aeroman]

The Kaiser-Frazer Owners Club convention in St Louis in 1985? had 6 Aeros in attendance. That is the current record gathering of Aeros that I know of. Of course, Walker/Hayes junkyard/collection in Peyton, CO has many, maybe 30 or more in various conditions.

Perhaps you know of the 1954 classic movie, "Johnny Dark," where many of the scenes were filmed at the PPG using thinly disguised Willys Aeros renamed "Fieldings" for the movie. It starred Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie.

I have long planned to write to that author (with the unreturned documents) to try to get them back for Miss Paton, but never got to it.

Whenever you get to the Willys Aero related documents, I would be interested, possibly able to scan them, except that I live in Georgia.

[RogerDetroit]

Hello Rick:

That would be wonderful if you could contact that author and retrieve those missing documents for our non-profit Foundation.

Yes, and we are well aware of the "Johnny Dark" movie and the connection with the Packard Proving Grounds,  Next year is our 90th anniversary and we are planning some special events, especially for our "Cars-R-Stars" Show on Sunday, June 10th.

Meanwhile, our crew is busy scanning documents and should be working on Clyde's library over the winter - stay tuned.

Roger Luksik
rluksik@comcast.net

[SC/397]

I just got my copy of the Johny Dark movie.  It is pretty cool!
http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_100562-Willys-Aero-1954.html

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=Willys&model=Aero&modelMatch=1&modelInclModel=on