Story
The 1956 Caribbean was Packard's final Detroit-built flagship and its only year with both a convertible and a pillarless hardtop. Packard grouped them under series 5688: body 5697 was the six-passenger custom hardtop, while 5699 was the six-passenger custom convertible. Both belong on this page because the same 374-cubic-inch dual-quad drivetrain and Caribbean equipment defined the series; their separate prices, weights, and production totals remain visible.
The Caribbean version of Packard's overhead-valve V8 used a 4.125-inch bore, 3.50-inch stroke, 10.0:1 compression, two Rochester 4GC four-barrels, and dual exhaust. Factory literature rated it at 310 gross horsepower and 405 lb-ft at 2,800 rpm. The Packard Club identifies the paired carburetors as 7009600 and 7009601, with Packard part numbers 6489090 and 6489091. Ordinary 374-powered Patricians and Four Hundreds used a single four-barrel and are not the same configuration.
Electronic Push-Button Ultramatic was standard, not an extra-cost Caribbean option. It used an electrically operated selector with Packard's lockup torque converter and two-speed automatic planetary gear set. The semi-floating Salisbury hypoid rear axle normally carried a 3.54 ratio; 3.31, 3.07, and 2.87 ratios were listed alternatives, and Twin-Traction limited slip was available. Full-length Torsion-Level bars connected front and rear wheel motion, with compensator bars and automatic load leveling. Power steering and Easamatic power-assisted Packard Servo-Hydraulic drums were standard.
The body and cabin were equally specific. Four Caribbean-only three-tone paint schemes placed Dover White above a contrasting middle and lower color. The hardtop added a fabric-covered steel roof, while the convertible used a power-operated top. Both carried gold Caribbean script, Caribbean grille texture, hood scoops, rear fender shrouds, whitewalls, dual power antennas, and extensive standard power equipment. Front and rear sofa cushions could be removed and reversed between leather and patterned fabric faces.
Packard built 263 hardtops and 276 convertibles, 539 Caribbeans in all. Authentication begins with a series 5688 vehicle plate and the correct 5697 or 5699 body designation, then checks paint code, trim, engine, paired carburetors, push-button Ultramatic, dates, and ownership records together. Three-tone paint, hood scoops, wire-style wheel covers, or a dual-quad engine can be reproduced, so appearance alone does not establish an individual car's history.