Paul Rusnak's Restored 1946 Packard Clipper Deluxe

A blue and silver 1946 Packard Clipper Deluxe arriving at and leaving the 2025 San Marino Motor Classic at Lacy Park. This car is owned by Paul Rusnak, founder and owner of Rusnak Auto Group, who rode in a similar car at the age of 14, driven by his father, a Packard distributor, as their family escaped communist rule in Czechoslovakia. This car, purchased by Rusnak for nostalgic reasons, has undergone a complete restoration and has been featured on Jay Leno's Garage.

Many of us can name specific cars that take us back to places or times that hold special personal meaning. For Paul Rusnak, the Packard Clipper is a car that literally transformed his life by bringing him out of his childhood homeland in the name of freedom and ultimately leading him to America where he has worked his way to success and now owns one of the best-known luxury car dealership groups in Southern California. Needless to say, his success has enabled him to acquire numerous noteworthy cars, including this one. While it's not the actual same car from his childhood, it's one that surely brings back many special memories and one that he has invested greatly in caring for, as seen through the excellent restoration. In its time, the Clipper was far from being a sales success, largely due to its untimely introduction just before being interrupted by World War II. Early post-war examples like this were essentially slightly updated versions of the pre-war model; a new (and somewhat polarizing) Packard design wasn't introduced until 1948. Still, it looks incredibly good even by today's standards. And according to Leno, it runs incredibly well too. I love cars with great stories behind them, and this is certainly one I won't forget.

Is there a particular car that brings back childhood memories for you like this Packard does for Paul Rusnak? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!