Topic: Whaddyacallit #74 - SOLVED - 1955 Packard Woerdenbag

[Ray B.]

Ever seen this ?

Please, respond below and let us know the make and model designation of the car posted here.

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[Otto Puzzell]

Maybe it's a 1955 Packard Woerdenbag?

[Ray B.]

Why maybe ?

[Otto Puzzell]

I've only seen it one place, and it sure don't look like a Packard.

[@re]

It would have been much more at home with a three-pointed star in that big black grille.

[Ray B.]

I've only seen it one place, and it sure don't look like a Packard.

I don't read portuguese too much, but from what it says where I found it  the car started its life in 1939 with a Studebaker engine and Alfa-Romeo suspension. So this would be a total rebuild, the engine being possibly the only Packard part. Maybe it should just be called a 1955 Woerdenbag, from the name of its builder-owner.

[Paul Jaray]

This is a pic of the first brazilian racing car, built between 1933 and 1939 by João Geraldo Woerdenbag, of
" Woerdenbag Motors", in Rua do Senado n°. 341 - bairro Riachuelo, Rio de Janeiro.
It was driven by Rubens Abrunhosa, with a Studebaker engine,and chassis by himself. João Geraldo is Tomás's father, and Tomas is still working in the same "oficina" in Rua do Senado.

[Paul Jaray]

This one-off raced between 1939 and 1952, and his owner decidet to modify it for the 1955 edition of the "volta"
So this old racing car became a touring car. The body was handmade and the engine was changed with a packard one. It is still running in the hands of its owner in São Paulo.

[Ray B.]

As it says "Modelo único desenvolvido pela Woerdenbag Motors, de João Geraldo Woerdenbag, no Rio de Janeiro. Este modelo nasceu do primeiro carro de corridas construído no Brasil, e era então equipado com motor Studebaker de 8 cilindros e conjunto de suspensão Alfa Romeo. Após participar de competições entre 1939 e 1952, o proprietário da empresa, por volta de 1955, decidiu transformar o obsoleto bólido de corridas num carro de turismo. Uma nova carroceria conversível foi artesanalmente produzida, e o motor foi substituído por um da marca Packard. Ao que parece, o carro ainda existe, nas mãos de um colecionador de São Paulo."

Thanks for your explanations. This is roughly what I had understood, but I didn't know the picture of the car in its former appearance..

[Paul Jaray]

You're welcome, and above the racer's pic there's this:

'O primeiro carro de corridas brasileiro foi construído de 1933 a 1939 por João Geraldo Woerdenbag, da
" Woerdenbag Motors", na Rua do Senado n°. 341 - bairro Riachuelo, Centro do Rio de Janeiro.
Foi vencedor do III Gávea Nacional de 1940, pilotado por Rubens Abrunhosa, com motor Studebaker
e chassis próprio. Para quem não sabe, João Geraldo é pai do Tomás, que continuou na mesma oficina na
Rua do Senado, até falecer em agosto 2004 e do João Luís, que foi da Motorfix, uma excelente oficina nos
anos 1980 na Rua Assunção, em Botafogo. Atualmente, João Luis, já falecido -- pai do cantor
Lobão -- cuidava dos carros da família Marinho, no Rio de Janeiro.'

I'm not familiar with the Brazilian language but it is very similar to the italian...

[jotage21]

Two more pictures

[Paul Jaray]

Terrific!
Thank you!

[Carnut]

For 1 point: What is this car, who built it, when, what powers it and what is its history?

[Allemano]

 

probably a repost

[Otto Puzzell]

PM sent

[Brazilian88]

It's a 1955 Packard Woerdenbag. It was based on the first race car built in Brazil, built by João Geraldo Woerdenbag, from Woerdenbag Motors. The car had it's own chassis fitted to a Studebacker 8 cylinders engine and Alfa Romeo suspension. As a race car it ran from 1939 to 1952, being the victory at the III Gávea Internacional by the hands of Rubens Abrunhosa it's most important achievement. In 1952, however, the car was obsolete against the new racer cars arriving from Europe, so, by 1955, the builder decide to turn it into a sports car, by changing the engine for a Packard and then fitting a new hand built body shell.

[Arunas]

For 1 point: What is this car, who built it, when, what powers it and what is its history?

 

[Carnut]

Nothing more I can add to that Brazilian88 so 1 point added!

This was a re-post for the Rookies only Arunas, so could an Editor now merge it with the original please:

www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=4104.msg25576#25576

[Allemano]

Merged.