We nicknamed the brute “The Bus”.

“Ask The Man Who Owns One.” That was the famous slogan of the Packard Motor Company. Founded in 1899 and in business until 1958, Packard built a luxury automobile of the same calibre as Rolls Royce. In the days when there were few paved roads and winter roads were often covered in deep snow, the straight 8-cylinder motor with the 28 inch wheels could be counted on to deliver you to your destination no matter what the weather had in mind. 

The luxury cars appealed to the wealthy and the Roadsters were owned by movie stars & moguls. They were dependable but also flashy, available in a variety of bright colours. In the late ‘20s Packard broadened their offering to include to a boxy sedan, which provided chauffeur-driven comfort while being almost indestructible. 

With the arrival of the Great Depression, their straight-8 motors gobbled up too much gas to continue as sustainable transportation for most people. Many were bought by local blacksmiths at fire sale prices. Stripped of their motors and bodies, these luxury vehicles got new life as grain trailers. I well remember going to Kressock’s Corner Store opposite the P&H elevator and watching the local farmers bring their grain into the elevator in these “Franken-Packards”.  

As World War Two got underway, the Packard Motor Company joined with Rolls to produce the Liberty aircraft and marine engines. The marine engines were used on the stealthy and fast Patrol Torpedo (PT) boats. Movie buffs will remember President Kennedy’s PT109. The boats were really quick, powered by three 12-cylinder engines with their own propeller shafts. The Liberty engines produced 1500HP and moved the PT boats at a speed of 43 knots, allowing them to outrun any boat afloat. Getting caught off guard by a Japanese destroyer was the only way to catch a PT boat. 

Closer to home, local blacksmith Helgi Highway had a shop on Third Ave in Gimli, where he converted old Packard sedans to grain trailers. He died in the mid ‘40s and Kristjanson Brothers bought a 1928 luxury Packard sedan from the Estate for the princely sum of $200. We nicknamed the brute “The Bus”. Us kids loved being driven around town in the height of luxury. True to its reputation, snow did not bother it. Nothing bothered it, really. It was used by The Brothers for years in their winter fishing operations. Put gas in and the Packard could be counted on to start up and get through just about anything. 

One winter’s day, my two uncles, Big Eddie & Hannes, were heading out on the lake to lift their nets when a sudden snow squall temporarily took visibility to zero. The fierce squall caused a crack in the ice to widen quickly. Disorientated by the blinding snow, Hannes nevertheless kept his foot on the gas and the big Packard obediently jumped forward and straight into the open water of the crack. Luckily, they had a good head of steam and bumper of “The Bus” caught on ice on the other side of the crack. Instead of going straight down into the freezing water, the Packard made a temporary bridge. Hannes and Big Eddie were able to get out into the deep water. Fortunately, another fishing outfit trailing behind saw their predicament and rescued them. 

The Bus was eventually towed to shore, but sadly never saw service again.  

Ken Kristjanson
October 2022

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