Shelby Township, MI
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Shelby Township's Historic Packard Proving Grounds
Updated on 01/19/2021 4:40 PM
In 1925, The Packard Motor Car Company realized that testing their products on Detroit's streets had its limitations and that it was time to build a proper testing facility. It began buying farmland in rural Shelby Township, Michigan and retained renowned industrial architect Albert Kahn to design and oversee the construction of a grand showplace, befitting one of the most prestigious and successful auto companies of the golden-era classic production.
1930s Tack Shot
1931 Painting
1934 Blueprint
1935 Sedan along Valley Road
1936 or 1937 Packard Proving Grounds Staff
1936 or 37 staff. First row, second from left-Matthew Whitney hired 1935.
1937 detroit sectional chart
1940s Aerial View
1948 Annual Report-Gates to Proving Grounds
1948 Sedan
1949 Track Scene
1951 Aerial View
1955 Specs. of Proving Grounds
1970s Aerial View
40s-Matt Whitney
60s aerial view-looking east
Charles Vincent
Checking for damage-1937 Sedan
Engine Testing Lab
Entrance Gate and Timing Tower-1930s
Lindbergh Inspects Stinson
MaCauley
Map of Parcel 7
March 1955
Misc. Interior of Packard Lodge
Misc. Proving Grounds
misc.provinggroundsb
Neil Porter walks in front of Packard Hangar-Det.News (5-04-05)
Newly planted Princeton Elms(4-29-05)
Norman Bawkon and John MacArthur-The Detroit News_Ricardo Thomas
Nov.1999 Cormorant News Bulletin
Nov.1999 Cormorant-3
Nov.1999 Cormorant-4
nov99cormorant2
October 1955
October 1955 test car
October 1955 test car (1)
p25
p26
Packard Ad-1940s
Packard Airport( Frazho
Packard Grill-Det.News
Packard Hangar
Packard Last Run-Misc.
Packard Lodge
Packard Lodge (1)
Packard Lodge-1928
Packard Lodge-1930s
Packard Lodge-1930s (1)
Packard Lodge-1930s (2)
Packard Lodge-1930s-Rear
Packard Lodge-1962
Packard Proving Grounds Staff-1935
Packard Proving Grounds-1928
Packard Water Tower-1962_
Plegeform
Proving Grounds Radio License
Rear of Packard Lodge(Garage)
Restored Stinson Detroiter
Rough Road Testing
Sale of Proving grounds-1962
Sat, 22 Oct 2005 17_06_51
Sat, 22 Oct 2005 17_06_54
Sept.2000 Cormorant
Suspension Test with sand bags
Tank Testing
Testing Clipper Suspension
Testing Lab
Testing of a 1938 Model-July 1937
Testing-June 1941
The Sand Trap
The Valley Road-Test Circuit
Timing House
Towing Dynamometer-1932
Track Blueprint
Track Scene-1930s
Track Shot
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_57_28
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_57_38
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_57_40
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_57_40 (1)
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_57_40 (2)
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_57_41
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_57_42
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_57_43
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_57_44
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_57_46
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_57_49
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_57_51
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_57_57
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_58_02
Wed, 18 Apr 2007 08_58_08
Woolson
Carl Altz(93) Former Packard driver stands in front of Packard restored by Jon Ottman of Source Newspaper(photo by ANKUR