Conceived as a moderate-performance two-seater by Hugh Ferry, president of Packard, it was built by Henney, which was responsible for fitting custom hearse and ambulance bodies on Packard chassis.
[1] A status symbol for a carmaker at the time, this sort of car was a very unlikely project for Packard.
[1] With styling by Henney, it was based on the 1951 Series 250 convertible, and ready in time for the 1952 New York International Motor Sports Show.
[2] Sectioned and channelled, in a fashion reminiscent of the 1953 Skylark, and wearing the trademark Packard grille, it "was elegantly trimmed throughout".
The Pan-American did inspire a successful six-place model, the Caribbean, which debuted in 1953.