packardaustralia.com

Hi Packard Buds and Budettes..lolo

Went Intl Packard surfin' tonight as I'm wide awake ...wife in bed..and bored stiff..lolol Anyway..ran across your site...very nicely done buds !!
I'm Sandy Mitchell, Mem Director for River Raisin Packards, (Monroe MI) 30 miles south of Detroit.. Prob is, it doesnt pay nothin..lolol We are a small chapter with about 65 members and starting this month with spring..we will begin to do or touring. Every other month we have 'potluck' dinner where everyone brings a dish to pass...It's amazing how attendance doubles...Give a man a full belly, his lady, and of course his Packard..and life is good to the max. I just recently returned from South Africa(5th time) in March. Was down there for a month with my bud's and their families, Dee(wife..ya I have one of those too) didnt want to go as its too long of a flight. Our buds down there are obsessed with thier old cars, beer and scotch, their vintage cars, and of course some strange games called rugby and cricket... Went to one of their major car meets on the Indian Ocean at the town of George..There were several Packards their. If I remember there was a 41 120, two 48 convertibles a 1938 six and a 48 Limo. Ive known all these guys for years.

Dee and I have had over 95 South Africans in our home for Hershey over the years, with a couple from the UK to boot. But you know?? We've never had any Ozzies or Kiwi's in our home..and I know they exist, your website proves it...lolol. The vast majority of them fly in for the Hershey event. Usually they come to our home and use it as a base for heading to the Auburn Cord Dusenburg Museum, Dayton Air Force Museum and the Henry Ford Museum...Then we head off for Hershey..where the women drop us men off and they head out to the Amish country to ...you got it..spend our money...boy do we pay, gentlemen..lolol

I have not heard from my SA buddies this year..so if any of ya are coming to Hershey, you are most welcome to stay in our home...AND we feed ya..lolol

Anyway..a nice site..the very best to all of ya...It's time to jump over to Europe and South Pacific Packards(NZ) and see what they're do'in..

Have a good one

Sandy and Dee Mitchell Petersburg, MI (40 miles south of Detroit..7 miles north of Toledo Ohio(home of Jeep)
cars owned 1937 115 c . business coupe...my driver and two unrestored 1928 526's a rumble coupe and a sedan..oh yeah two parts cars a 726 and 526

G'day Sandy,

Welcome to the PACA Site. Would have done so sooner but haven't been on for a while, even with the proddings from young Mat our Webmaster!

We've got quite an active Packard club in Oz with members in most states and regular monthly and other runs. We also have a National Rally every 18 to 24 months with the most recent, the 13th being in the Southern Highlands. http://www.southern-highlands.com.au/ We had overseas visitors from New Zealand and Great Britain as well as 6 from the US - 3 Texans, 2 "Up-state" New Yorkers and a Californian.

Here'a link to a Picasa Web Album of mine of some pic's from the Rally. You should then also be able to access my other Picasa Albums of Packard and related pic's http://picasaweb.google.com/ozstatman/M ... 23rdMarch#

Interesting about your South African trips, friends and Hershey. I hope to get to Hershey at some future time. Did visit the US in 2007 when I bought my '41 120 Club Coupe and saw the Henry Ford Museum as well as the Packard Museum in Warren Ohio during the course of my trip.

I invite you and your wife to visit Australia, although it's an even longer trip than South Africa. A good focus for such a trip would be the next PACA National Rally in September/October 2010. The Rally will incorporate the Bay to Birdwood run as a lead off then will go to Kangaroo Island by Ferry. The organisers, South Aussie members, always put together a great Rally. If you're interested send me your details(email address, etc) and I'll pass them on to the Rally organisers.
Bay to Birdwood http://www.baytobirdwood.com.au/
Kangaroo Island http://www.tourkangarooisland.com.au/

And if you haven't already done so have a look at a great Packard Site I'm also a member of PackardInfo http://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/article/ There's a Project Blog there about my '41 Coupe for those long "wide awake" & "bored stiff nights" if that helps?

All the best from down-under