Just like real life History Detectives, we set out to discover the truth about, what happened to the Packard Victoria, after it left our great uncle’s hands in 1952.
Meeting the present day owner’s, Bill and Jo Ellen Snyder and their son, Steve Snyder of VAULTCARS…..Chuck Williams aka BB1, Sharrie and Donna Williams, set out on a REEEEEL, Treasure Hunt….. that made all the pieces of the puzzle, at last, come together for us.
Bill Snyder, now in his 90’s has been an avid Duisenberg and Packard collector for over 60 years and still owns his mother’s, perfectly preserved, 1946 Packard.
Jo Ellen Snyder, is quite a collector of original moving art, herself, and has been a jewelry designer, for as long as her husband has been collecting
Duisburg’s and Packard’s.
The Snyder’s home is a virtual museum of American memorabilia…..I asked Bill if he still collects…..”no,” he said, in a serious tone, “we ran out of room”…. I looked around and there really wasn’t a vacant spot to display one more item…..We all sat the the table and Steve brought out a giant file of records, for the the 1940 Packard Victoria…I remarked at how thick it was…and he looked straight at me and said…”This is only the tip of the iceberg.” That’s a real historian.
After studying all the records and pictures of the car, Steve Snyder and my cousin Chuck Williams aka BB1, owner of REEEEEL CONVERTIBLES, proceeded to capture gorgeous photo’s of the car. Chuck was especially drawn to the Horse Head, hood ornament, claiming he had bookends that belonged to his grandfather, Noel J. Williams that were similar.
Chuck believes the Horse Head, held special meaning for Tom Lyle and his brother Noel J….perhaps pertaining to Horsepower, and Maybelline outrunning the competition.
Here are the Horse Head bookends that Chuck inherited from his grandfather Noel James Williams, Vice President of the Maybelline Company from 1915 to 1951.
Chuck’s reflection in the Packard’s door, as he shoots a picture of my sister Donna and I pretending to cruise down Hollywood Blvd. We wanted to recreate the feeling, of what it was like to drive in Old Hollywood, luxury, from the 1940’s.
Steve Snyder captures Donna in the drivers seat, while I ride shotgun. We have special feelings for this car, because our dad, Bill Williams, was just a kid when he and his uncle Tom Lyle, drove it to the homes of Hollywood’s biggest stars, to collect their signatures on Maybelline Contracts.
So here I am ready to interview the Snyder’s for my mini- documentary, about their 1940 Packard Victoria….. that once belonged to our great uncle, Tom Lyle Williams, founder and owner of the Maybelline Company.
Stay tuned this weekend, as I wrap up, Packard Victoria, week, on the Vintage Maybelline Docu-Blog….. featuring….. The Snyder’s and The Williams and their history with this amazing American Classic.
Scroll down to view my interview, with Packard Historian, Steve Snyder.
